CHORUS SIZE AND CALL INTENSITY - FEMALE CHOICE IN THE PAINTED REED FROG, HYPEROLIUS-MARMORATUS

1. In two-choice phonotaxis experiments female painted reed frogs (Hyp erolius marmoratus) preferentially chose the stimulus with the greater sound pressure level(SPL) at source when all other call parameters we re identical. 2. However, this preference was not apparent when we inc reased the distance of the louder stimulus from the female such that t he SPL of the two stimuli at the release point was equivalent. This su ggests that females simply move up sound gradients ('passive attractio n'). 3. Female choice of the loudest stimulus was also affected by the number of speakers. 4. There were significantly fewer responses to th e loudest speaker in some four-choice compared to matched two-choice p honotaxis experiments. 5. Together these experimental results may part ially account for the absence of a large male mating advantage in the field.