Risky business: Frogs’ mating calls also attract predators

11-12-2019

Frogs have been struggling a bit in recent years. Their populations around the world have been declining for decades, and the reasons for their loss come from many fronts. In the túngara frog — a tiny native of Middle, Central and South America — disease, predation and communication are intricately intertwined. Parasites are transmitted by midges, which find their way to frogs by “intercepting” their mating calls.