No abstract available
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No abstract available
Among frogs, vocalizations play important roles in their social interactions. Herein we describe five new types of vocalizations for two foam-nesting species of the Leptodactylus pentadactylus group, L. syphax and L. labyrinthicus. Behavioral observations and recordings were done in four localities within the Cerrado biome, at southeast and central Brazil. Before emitting advertisement calls, males of L. syphax often started producing a sequence of notes, which gradually turned into the advertisement call. These different notes may be an introductory call, which would serve to prepare the vocal structures for the emission of the high-frequency/amplitude advertisement calls. A male of L. syphax was emitting advertisement calls when a female approached and started to emit brief and low-amplitude calls; these vocalizations probably are reciprocation calls. Males of L. labyrinthicus involved in agonistic interactions can emit vocal cracks (encounter call) and deep rough sounds (territorial calls). Five courting males of L. labyrinthicus released screams with their mouth slightly opened in response to the approach of human observers. We conclude that these screams do not represent distress or territorial calls.