COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF THE MALE MULTIPLE CLICK CALLS OF COLONIZING HOUSE GECKOS HEMIDACTYLUS TURCICUS FROM THE SOUTHERN U.S.A. AND ISRAEL AND HEMIDACTYLUS FRENATUS

ABSTRACT

Male multiple click (MC) calls of two species of house geckos, the Pacific Hemidactylus frenatus and the Mediterranean H. turcicus, were recorded and analyzed. They differed both in structure of the call as a whole and of its constituent clicks. Calls of H. frenatus are shorter, with fewer clicks, and each click is harmonious, frequency modulated, whereas those of H. turcicus have noisy clicks. Differences between MC calls of three populations of H. turcicus might reflect adaptations reducing interference with calls of other sympatric species.