'Squeak’ Variations Produced by a South American Treefrog
Category: Research Poster
Author(s): Isabella Provins, Julianna Mendez
Presenter(s): Isabella Provins
Mentors(s): Julianna Mendez
Vocalizations are commonly used as signals by a variety of animals to communicate. An animal’s call properties will vary depending on the perceived receiver of the signal and the environment in which it is produced in. Together, these factors influence call characteristics, as signals lose their initial structure while traveling to a receiver. Signals that propagate will experience degradation, such as changes to its frequencies and attenuation, and the loss of the signal's amplitude. Understanding not only the behavioral mechanisms that drive calls but also the temporal and spectral properties of calls, can allow a more holistic and deeper understanding of social interactions. South American treefrog (Boana pulchella) can produce several call types. Among them is a squeak call type. Through preliminary work, I have identified variations of the squeaks, which has not yet been described. By analyzing these variations, we can begin to further understand the function of each call type and the effects of both the temporal and spectral variations on shaping social interactions and behavioral dynamics.