Morphological and Mating Call Comparisons in the Bufo valliceps Complex

Abstract

Morphological and mating call comparisons have been made of seven species in the Bufo valliceps complex in order to clarify their evolutionary relationships. The species studied are: Bufo canaliferus Cope, B. cavifrons Firschein, B. coccifer 'Cope, B. cristatus Wiegmann, B. gemmifer Taylor, B. mazatlanensis Taylor, and B. valliceps Wiegmann. Mating calls were recorded in the field and analyzed by means of a sound spectrograph. The calls of B. gemmifner, B. mazatlanensis, B. cavi/rons, and B. valliceps are similar. The call of B. canaliferus differs in having a much slower pulse rate while that of B. coccifer possesses a much faster pulse rate. No recordings were obtained for B. cristatus. Much of the intraspecific variation among B. valliceps calls appears to be related to body size. Morphological comparisons indicate a close relationship between B. gemmifer and B. mazatlanensis and between B. cavi/rons and B. cristatus. Bufo valliceps appears to be closely related to both of these complexes. Bufo canaliferus and B. coccifer bear neither a close resemblance to each other nor to the other five species. These findings agree with interpretations of biochemical comparisons in that B. canaliferus and B. coccifer appear to belong to different species groups than that to which B. valliceps belongs.