Circadian Rhythm of Calling Behavior in the Emei Music Frog (<I>Babina daunchina</I>) is Associated with Habitat Temperature and Relative Humidity

Generally, the function of vocalizations made by male anurans are to attract females or defend resources. Typically, males vocalize in choruses during one or more periods in a twenty-four-hour cycle, which varies, however, among species. Nevertheless, the causal factors influencing circadian variations of calling patterns in anuran species are not clear. In this study, male chorus vocalizations were monitored in the Emei music frog (Babina daunchina) for 17 consecutive days during the breeding season, while its habitat air temperature and relative humidity in the course of experiments were measured as well. The results revealed that the circadian calling patterns were characterized by two periods of peak vocalization, which were observed from 0500 h to 0700 h and from 1300 h to 2000 h, while the lowest activity period was found from 2100 h to 2200 h. Both calls/h and notes/h were positively correlated with air temperature and negatively with relative humidity. Overall, our data indicate that the Emei music frogs (B. daunchina) could regulate their vocal activities based on the changes of physical micro-environment (e. g., temperature or humidity) to maximize reproductive success.