Partitioning of vocal activity in a Neotropical highland-frog community

Vocal activity was studied in a Colombian highland-frog community, consisti ng of five frog species belonging to three families with three different re productive modes, which reproduced simultaneously in the area. We encounter ed one diurnal and four nocturnal species. Each species had a distinct call structure, and the 24-hour patterns of calling activity differed significa ntly between all but two species. Interspecific differences in dominant cal l frequencies corresponded inversely to differences in male snout-vent leng th. Only one species called in ponds, whereas all other species used terres trial sites. Among the terrestrial callers there seemed to be interspecific differences in plant use as calling sites. Our results indicate that despi te the low number of species, interspecific vocal partitioning is pronounce d, and probably important for reliable vocal communication.