Glossary of Terms

advertisement call

a vocalization produced by a male frog that attracts female frogs of the same species and declares its position at the breeding pond to other males

bufotoxin

a toxic secretion produced by cells within the skin of toads

call duration

the length of a vocalization as measured in seconds from the initiation of the first pulse to the terminus of the final pulse

clutch

the total number of eggs released by a female during mating; the eggs may be laid singly or in masses of varying sizes and shapes; when eggs are clumped into masses, each mass may be referred to as a clutch

cranial crest

bony L-shaped ridges positioned between and in back of the eyes of toads

detritus

fragmented dead material

dominant frequency

the frequency at which most sound energy is transmitted

dorsolateral fold (ridge)

a fold of glandular tissue that extends from the rear margin of the tympanum along the back toward the hind legs

femoral area

the upper part of the leg supported by the femur; the thigh.

frequency

the number of cycles of a sound wave that passes a set point per unit of time, usually measured in cycles per second (hertz)

hertz

the number of cycles per second; the unit of measurement for frequency

hybridize

the process of cross-mating between two or more different species

metamorphosis

the process of changing body forms; the change from a tadpole to a frog

oviposition

the process of laying or depositing eggs

parotid gland

an elevated, glandular area on the back of the head of toads

spawning

the process of laying eggs

spectrogram

a plot of sound frequency (Hz) against time (seconds)

tarsus

the middle, elongated foot bones of the hind leg

tibiae

the shank or calf of the hind leg that is supported by the fused tibio-fibula bone

transformation

the process of changing body form from a tadpole (larva) to a frog

tympanum

the external ear of frogs and toads that receives airborne sound vibrations and transfers them to the middle ear