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Sound localization behavior of the green treefrog (Hyla cinerea) and the barking treefrog (H. gratiosa)

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Summary

Female treefrogs (Hyla cinerea andH. gratiosa) can accurately localize a sound source (playback of male mating calls) if both ears are intact. When the sensitivity of one eardrum is attenuated, by coating it with a thin layer of silicone grease, females no longer can locate the sound source. This study demonstrates that female anurans rely on interaural cues for localization of a calling male. The neural basis for an anuran's sound localization ability presumably involves binaural convergence on single cells in the central auditory nervous system.

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Author notes

  1. Albert S. Feng

    Present address: Department of Neurosciences, Neurobiology Unit, Scripps Institute of Oceanography, University of California, 92037, La Jolla, California, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Section of Neurobiology and Behavior and School of Electrical Engineering, Cornell University, 14853, Ithaca, New York, USA

    Albert S. Feng

  2. Division of Biological Sciences, University of Missouri, 65201, Columbia, Missouri, USA

    H. Carl Gerhardt

  3. Section of Neurobiology and Behavior and School of Electrical Engineering, Cornell University, 14853, Ithaca, New York, USA

    Robert R. Capranica

Authors
  1. Albert S. Feng
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  2. H. Carl Gerhardt
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  3. Robert R. Capranica
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Additional information

This work was supported by research grants from the National Science Foundation and the U.S. Public Health Service. The assistance of Anne J.M. Moffat in measuring the directional characteristics of the loudspeaker is gratefully appreciated.

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Feng, A.S., Gerhardt, H.C. & Capranica, R.R. Sound localization behavior of the green treefrog (Hyla cinerea) and the barking treefrog (H. gratiosa). J. Comp. Physiol. 107, 241–252 (1976). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00656735

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00656735

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