MATING CALL DIFFERENCES BETWEEN DIPLOID AND TETRAPLOID GREEN TOADS (BUFO-VIRIDIS COMPLEX) IN MIDDLE ASIA

Mating calls of diploid and tetraploid green toads (Bufo viridis compl ex) from Iran, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan were investigat ed during the breeding periods in 1994 and 1995 across a range of temp eratures from 9 degrees C to 22 degrees C. Interpulse interval duratio n, pulse duration and call duration were negatively correlated with wa ter temperature. At any given temperature tetraploid toads exhibited l onger pulses and interpulse intervals resulting in lower pulse rates t han diploid toads. These differences reveal a potential premating isol ation barrier and provide an additional argument to consider diploid a nd tetraploid green toads as separate species. Call duration did not d iffer significantly between diploid and tetraploid green toads. Fundam ental frequencies lay in the same range in both diploid and tetraploid toads.