Behaviorists listen in as animals call and croak.

BANGALORE, INDIA-Animal communication was a hot topic when 400 researchers from 39 nations gathered here at the 26th International Ethological Conference from 2 to 9 August. Some of the most vocal discussions explored how animals speak their minds, from calling in grasshoppers to croaking in frogs. Female Frogs Join the Chorus Although it may sound harsh to human ears, the croaking of frogs on a rainy spring night is actually the sound of romance. Male frogs are trying to capture the attention and admiration of females with long, loud calls—displays of stamina that are thought to showcase a male's fitness. Now an Indian researcher has found that the females, often thought to be silent partners in this serenade, take part in the concert as well.