Observations on the Social Behavior 



of the Southern Cricket Frog, Acris gryllus 



(Anura: Hylidae) 



Don C. Forester 



Department of Biological Sciences I Institute of Animal 



Behavior, Towson State University, Towson, Maryland 21204 



AND 



Richard Daniel 



Division of Biological Sciences, 



University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri 65201 



ABSTRACT. — Southern Cricket Frogs are prolonged breeders. During 

 the reproductive season, males occupy calling territories from which 

 they advertise for females. Mean territory size was 0.56 m 2 (0.03-1.36 

 m 2 ), and mean nightly movement by territorial males was 52 cm (0-205 

 cm). Territory size was not correlated with the number of days spent 

 calling or with mating success. Observations on courtship behavior are 

 presented. 



Anuran species are categorized as either explosive or prolonged 

 breeders (Wells 1977a). For species composing the former group, males 

 and females arrive synchronously at the reproductive site. In many such 

 species, males actively search out females, and mate discrimination by 

 the female may be limited by male assertiveness. Explosive breeders are 

 stimulated by heavy rainfall and breed for only a fews days afterwards. 

 Prolonged breeders often partition the reproductive site into defended 

 calling stations. Males advertise their position by persistent vocaliza- 

 tion, and the arrival of receptive females is typically asynchronous. In 

 species of this type, breeding is less dependent on seasonal precipitation, 

 and reproductive activity may continue for months. 



Studies on the reproductive behavior of anuran amphibians (par- 

 ticularly prolonged breeding species) have greatly increased during the 

 past 15 years (for a review see Wells 1977a,b; Arak 1983). The purpose 

 of this investigation is to quantify the breeding and courtship behavior 

 of the Southern Cricket Frog, Acris gryllus, a small, terrestrial hylid 

 indigenous to the southeastern United States (Neill 1950). During early 

 spring and summer, males aggregate around pools and call. Chorusing 

 may persist throughout the summer and calling males have been reported 

 as late as early October (Wright and Wright 1949). Females appear to 

 arrive at breeding pools asynchronously throughout the spring and 



Brimleyana No. 12:5-11, September 1986 



