Bioacoustics of Cophyla maharipeo

Etymology. The name is derived from Malagasy mahari-peo (equalling maharitra feo): long voice. This species has the longest call duration among all Cophyla species. Natural history. The holotype was found at night, calling on a bamboo tree. About eight calling males (including the holotype ) were heard from the same small patch of bamboo in the garden of an abbey in Joffreville. During the day, at the same site, one female with oocytes and one male were found in a bamboo trunk, together with five juveniles. No further information is available on the natural history and reproduction of this species. Advertisement call. Calls were recorded from paratype UADBA-A 60232 (ZCMV 12196) on 17 January 2012 , at an air temperature of ca. 25˚C ( Fig. 13 ). The following call description refers to the calls of this single specimen. As with all other Cophyla and most cophylines, single tonal calls were repeated in long series (continued at least for several minutes but probably much longer in undisturbed specimens), with regular inter-call intervals. Dominant spectral call frequency ranged from 2600–2800 Hz (N= 28). Temporal call parameters were as follows: call duration 1166–1346 ms (1257±40 ms; N= 28); duration of inter-call intervals 2154–3881 ms (2552±387 ms; N= 27). In the recorded call sequence, each call starts with a very short intensity peak visible in the oscillograms and of slightly higher frequency than the rest of the call. While we cannot exclude that this peak is a genuine part of the vocalization of this species, we find it more likely that it represents either an artefact of the recording equipment, or an abnormal feature in sound emission.

Diagnosis and comparisons. Assigned to the genus Cophyla in the microhylid subfamily Cophylinae based on enlarged terminal discs on fingers and toes, absence of nuptial pads, absence of clavicle, posterior vomer undivided and not overlapping with neopalatines, and molecular phylogenetic relationships. From other arboreal species of cophylines the species can be distinguished by a combination of the following character states: small to medium body size (adult SVL 22–27 mm ); usually with yellowish and white ventral colour; third toe length equals fifth toe; posterior vomer probably with weakly developed vomerine teeth; males with prepollical tubercle but lacking a finger-like prepollex as typical for Anodonthyla . Distinguished from all other species of Cophyla by advertisement call characteristics (long call duration 1166–1346 ms). Further distinguished from C . phyllodactyla by smaller body size (adult SVL 22–26 mm vs . 27–29 mm ); from C . occultans by larger size (SVL 22–26 mm vs . 16–21 mm ); and from C . berara by the fourth finger being equally long as third ( vs . fourth finger slightly longer). For the distinction from the other two new Cophyla species described herein, see their respective diagnoses below.