News Animals

Pug-nosed tree frogs use an auditory trick to evade predators and woo mates

The amphibians exploit what’s known as the precedence effect

Male pug-nosed tree frog

Male pug-nosed tree frogs rely on an auditory illusion when calling out to a female frog (one shown) while not giving away their position to predators.

Brian Gratwicke/Flickr (CC BY 2.0)

By Pratik Pawar

Most male frogs want their mating call to stand out from the crowd, and they do that by calling when nobody else is. This makes sure that the females hear them loud and clear, and know where they are.