Diversity and frequency of visual defensive behaviours in a population of Hypsiboas geographicus

Defensive behaviours against potential predators are a common and diverse survival mechanism employed by many amphibians. During a field course conducted in the vicinity of Madidi National Park, Bolivia, in April 2006, we observed several distinct defensive behaviours displayed by individuals of Hypsiboas geographicus. Here we assess the diversity of defensive behaviours displayed and quantify the frequency distribution of visual defensive behaviours across a sample of the population. We also discuss some of these behaviours in a phylogenetic context.