Accuracy of sound localization by the frog Hyperolius marmoratus

The sound localization ability of female painted reed frogs was studied by phonotactic approaches via a three‐dimensional grid to an elevated loudspeaker (through which male mating calls were broadcast). Females readily resolved the sound source elevation with a mean jump error angle of 37&° (26 trials, 17 females), compared to a mean jump error angle of 19° (33 trials, 13 females) for a more conventional two‐dimensional ground approach. Lateral head scanning, often accompanied by vertical changes in head orientation, frequently preceded successive jumps. The ability of such small frogs to accurately localize a sound source in both the horizontal and vertical plane, given the absence of a pinna or external canal, is remarkable. [This study was supported by the South African Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, and the Animal Research Program, University of the Witwatersrand.]