You are here

Cricket calling site selection and sound transmission in a tropical evergreen forest [abstract]

Manjari, J & Balakrishnan, R (2012). Cricket calling site selection and sound transmission in a tropical evergreen forest [abstract]. Bioacoustics, Volume 21 (1): 76

 

Abstract: 

Acoustically communicating animal species often show preferential use of specific calling sites or microhabitats from which to broadcast their calls. Site selection may be driven by different factors, including predator avoidance, reducing acoustic interference or minimising acoustic attenuation and degradation. We studied microhabitat selection in thirteen species of crickets that form the major part of an acoustically communicating ensiferan assemblage in a tropical evergreen forest in Southern India. We examined microhabitat selection in these species by comparing proportional use with availability of microhabitats. We found strong evidence for microhabitat selection by the different species. We then investigated whether the selection for microhabitats confers sound transmission benefits to these species by playing back their calls and re-recording them at different distances in both native and non native microhabitats. The calls were examined for their attenuation and degradation and compared between species and microhabitats.