The advertisement call of argenteohyla siemersi pederseni (amphibia, anura, hylidae), and comments on its taxonomic status

Abstract

Two subspecies of Argenteohyla siemersi, nominate A. s. siemersi and A. s. pederseni, are currently recognized. It was suggested that analysis of nuptial calls and chromosome structure would contribute to clarify their taxonomic status. In this paper we describe the advertisement call of Argenteohyla siemersi pederseni from Reserva Natural Provincial Iberá, Corrientes, Argentina, and comment on its taxonomic status. The advertisement call of A. s. pederseni is quite variable in duration and number of notes. Additionally, it seems to perform synchronized duets. The call of A. s. pederseni is similar to that of A. s. siemersi in note structure and duration, but the fundamental frequency and the number of notes for call were higher in A. s. pederseni than in A. s. siemersi. These data suggest that siemersi and pederseni could belong to different biological species, although further work is needed to support this assertion.