The 'silent' half: diversity, function and the critical knowledge gap on female frog vocalizations

Area of Science:

• Bioacoustics
• Animal Behavior
• Evolutionary Biology

Background:

• Anuran (frog) vocalizations are vital for reproduction and species recognition.
• Research has historically focused on male calls, creating a male-biased perspective in anuran bioacoustics.
• Female anuran calls are often neglected due to their low amplitude, hindering detection.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the current knowledge of female anuran calling behavior.
• To propose a standardized classification for anuran call types.
• To identify patterns, challenges, and best practices for studying female frog vocalizations and suggest future research directions.

Main Methods:

• A comprehensive literature review was conducted.
• Documented instances of female anuran calls were compiled and analyzed.
• Existing data on female vocalizations were synthesized to identify trends and knowledge gaps.

Main Results:

• Female calls have been documented in 112 species (approx. 1.43% of described anuran species).
• Most descriptions are anecdotal or descriptive, lacking functional analysis.
• Female anuran vocalizations are widespread but significantly understudied.

Conclusions:

• Calling females are a common but overlooked phenomenon in anurans.
• Further research on female vocalizations is crucial for a comprehensive understanding of anuran communication.
• Integrating female perspectives is essential for future behavioral, ecological, and evolutionary studies in anurans.