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Red-eyed tree frogs prefer mates whose croak vibrations they can feel

Female red-eyed tree frogs respond better to mating calls they hear if they can also feel them through the branches they are perched on, a finding that may extend to other tree frog species

By Corryn Wetzel

6 September 2022

MFG740 Red-eyed tree frog (Agalychnis callidryas) Costa Rica.

Red-eyed tree frogs are found in rainforests from southern Mexico to northern Colombia

Avalon.red/Alamy

Female red-eyed tree frogs are more than twice as likely to select a mate if they can feel the vibrations of their call instead of only hearing it.

These small, bright-green frogs (Agalychnis callidryas) are about the size of a chicken egg and are found in rainforests from southern Mexico to northern Colombia. When the males want to woo a female or ward off a rival, they use air sacs in their throat to send a chorus of croaks and chirps.

When they call out, they…

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