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An Unusual Defensive Strategy And Release Call In Lithobates Palmipes (Spix, 1824) (Anura: Ranidae)

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  • João Victor Cunegundes de Siqueira,
  • Alcina Gabriela Maria Medeiros da Fonsêca Santos,
  • Arthur Felipe Ferreira de Freitas,
  • Tayssa Rodrigues de Morais Santos,
  • Inacio de Oliveira Negromonte,
  • Adsson Rodrigues de Santana,
  • Geraldo Jorge Barbosa de Moura
João Victor Cunegundes de Siqueira
Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco
Alcina Gabriela Maria Medeiros da Fonsêca Santos
Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco
Arthur Felipe Ferreira de Freitas
Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco
Tayssa Rodrigues de Morais Santos
Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco
Inacio de Oliveira Negromonte
Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco
Adsson Rodrigues de Santana
Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco
Geraldo Jorge Barbosa de Moura
Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco
DOI: https://doi.org/10.36253/a_h-19703

Published 2026-10-12

Keywords

  • Anura,
  • Ranidae,
  • defensive behaviour,
  • thanatosis,
  • tongue protrusion,
  • defensive call
    • ...More
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How to Cite

Cunegundes de Siqueira, J. V., Maria Medeiros da Fonsêca Santos, A. G., de Freitas, A. F. F., de Morais Santos, T. R., de Oliveira Negromonte, I., Rodrigues de Santana, A., & Jorge Barbosa de Moura, G. (2026). An Unusual Defensive Strategy And Release Call In Lithobates Palmipes (Spix, 1824) (Anura: Ranidae). Acta Herpetologica. https://doi.org/10.36253/a_h-19703

Copyright (c) 2026 João Victor Cunegundes de Siqueira, Alcina Gabriela Maria Medeiros da Fonsêca Santos, Arthur Felipe Ferreira de Freitas, Tayssa Rodrigues de Morais Santos, Inacio de Oliveira Negromonte, Adsson Rodrigues de Santana, Geraldo Jorge Barbosa de Moura

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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Abstract

Anurans exhibit a wide range of defensive strategies that have evolved under selective pressures from predators throughout their evolutionary history. This study reports, for the first time within the family Ranidae, the occurrence of tongue protrusion as a defensive behaviour in Lithobates palmipes (Spix, 1824), and describes its release call associated with stress situations and unwanted amplexus. Observations were conducted at the Estação Ecológica de Caetés, Pernambuco, Brazil, during field expeditions in August 2025. The recorded behaviours included thanatosis, cloacal discharge, tongue protrusion, and release call emission, revealing a diverse defensive repertoire for the species. The release call exhibited a short duration (0.05 ± 0.01 s) and a dominant frequency of 1406.25 ± 187.93 Hz, consistent with short-range defensive vocalisations. Tongue protrusion, a behaviour rarely documented in anurans, appears to reinforce thanatosis by confusing potential predators. These findings expand current knowledge of the antipredator strategies of L. palmipes and contribute to a broader understanding of behavioural diversity within Ranidae. Furthermore, they highlight the importance of ethological and bioacoustic studies for understanding the evolution and conservation of Neotropical amphibians.

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