Arginine vasotocin affects vocal behavior but not selective responses to conspecific calls in male túngara frogs

Abstract Arginine vasotocin (AVT) and its homolog arginine vasopressin (AVP) modulate social behavior, including communication. In anuran amphibians, male-male competition female mate choice rely heavily on acoustic signaling. Behavioral experiments show that AVT influences motivation to call vocal production. It may also influence how males process respond socially relevant auditory stimuli, but few studies have explored this possibility in taxon. Tungara frogs produce a “whine” is used for species recognition; with other they append one or more attractive “chucks” the whine. Frequency modulation whine an important cue recognizing conspecifics, gating of conspecific signals begins midbrain. We dynamic playback investigate effects exogenous males' responses stimuli species-typical altered frequency modulation. avoidance overlap as evidence male recognizes stimulus salient production chucks his competitive response proximate rival. rate, duration, measures motor Males responded selectively Following treatment AVT, increased rate whines way suggests air flow during did not, however, find alters salience responding signals, at least study.