Social Factors Best Predict Chorusing Behavior of Gray Tree Frogs (Hyla versicolor)

Gray treefrogs (Hyla versicolor) descend the forest canopy in the summer and gather at a nearby body of water when it is time to find a mate. Male frogs call to attract females during the night. The size of the resulting chorus, as well as the duration of nightly chorus activity, is highly variable. Using data from a long-term recorder stationed at Byer’s Pond (Saukville, WI) that recorded one minute of sound every hour for the duration of the 2017 frog season, we extracted data on frog calling activity and examined whether it was best predicted by variation in environmental (temperature, rainfall, humidity, moonlight) or social (previous night chorus size) factors. The best predictor of chorus size was the size of the previous night’s chorus, with temperature also playing some role. The only predictor of chorus duration was also the size of the previous night’s chorus. Our results show that Gray Treefrog calling activity is somewhat influenced by temperature, but that social factors play a larger role than environmental ones