We studied variation in advertisement calls, release calls, and calling behavior in three populations of Bufo alvarius in central Arizona over a 3-yr period. Of advertisement call variables, pulse rate was the only variable significantly (positively) related to temperature, and no variables were correlated with male snout-vent length. For release calls, only pulse rate was significantly (negatively) related to temperature, and no variables were related to male size. Mean advertisement call pulse rate was approximately 30% of average release call pulse rate; such dramatic differences in temporal structure of advertisement and release calls are previously unreported in the genus Bufo. These results support the hypothesis that B. alvarius generates advertisement calls without passive vibrations of the arytenoid cartilages. Overall patterns of call variation in B. alvarius more closely parallel the valliceps rather than the boreas species group. Preliminary discrimination trials indicate that females are attracted to male advertisement calls. Within relatively low density choruses, some large males produced advertisement calls consistently, and active-searching behavior was size-related. Male advertisement calls may play an important role in mate selection by females under some conditions, but an adequate test of this hypothesis awaits additional study.
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