Sound production of palmate newts ( <i>Lissotriton helveticus</i> )

In this paper, recordings of sound production by palmate newts (Lissotriton helveticus) are reported for the first time. An acoustic study using hydrophones was conducted over a period of 54 hours from a sample of palmate newts extracted in mid-March from a Devon breeding pond during the spawning season. A number of different sounds were observed, including simple ‘knocks’, ‘clicks’ and loud ‘squeaks’, and more complex sound sequences, including ‘rasps’, rhythmic tap sequences and extended click bursts. Most of the sounds were produced nocturnally and a large proportion contained dominant frequencies at around 1.8 to 2.0 kHz. Although some sounds were likely incidental, e.g. maybe caused by tail and body movements during locomotion, many were almost certainly intentional vocalisations, as is commonly observed in species of fish and anuran amphibians, and may serve a number of purposes, including for defence, alarm or courtship functions.