Bioacoustics of Sphaerotheca maskeyi

( Fig 4J ) Specimens examined: five males (WIIAD 064, WIIAD 065, WIIAD 229, WIIAD 233 & WIIAD 275) and two females (WIIAD 225 & WIIAD 232). Morphological features: Adult males SVL 32.1–45.5 mm (n=5) and two females SVL 45.8–47.1 mm (n=2); body stout; head wider than long; snout rounded dorsally as well as laterally; eyes large, pupil diamond shaped or round; tympanum nearly 2/3 the diameter of eye, supratympanic fold distinct; dorsal skin granular with some tubercles; fingers without web and round, relative length of fingers II <IV <I <III; relative length of toes 1<2<3<5<4, inner metatarsal tubercle large and very prominent. Calling males had bilobate subgular paired vocal sac. Coloration in life : Dorsum grey or brownish to pinkish with or without irregular dark spots; limbs cross barred with dark grey; upper lips marked with dark bands; yellowish marblings in groin region; ventral side of body white; calling males had black throat colour. Bioacoustics: We analysed 30 calls from three males. Males called intermittently and delivered single type pulsatile calls. We recorded calls between 21:00–00:00 hours in July. The air temperature of calling site of frogs at the time of call recordings was between 26.5°C–29.3°C. The mean call duration was 377.60 ± 45.65 ms (319–455 ms). Mean pulse rate was 78.35 ± 3.03 pulses/s (72.43–83.08 pulses/s) with mean of 29.23 ± 2.87 pulses per call. The mean dominant frequency was 2074.37 ± 441.68 Hz (947.50–2368.70 Hz). This is the first-time description of advertisement calls of Sphaerotheca pashchima ( Fig 7 & Annexure II).