Gharial acoustic signaling: Novel underwater pops are temporally based, context-dependent, seasonally stable, male-specific, and individually distinctive.

ABSTRACT: Gharials (Gavialis gangeticus) produce a sudden, high amplitude, pulsatile, underwater sound called a POP. In this study, gharial POPs ranged from 9 to 55 ms, and were clearly audible on land and water, at ≥500 m. POPs were only performed underwater by adult males possessing a sex-specific, cartilaginous narial excrescence, termed the ghara. We recorded 130 POP events of seven wild adult males in 115 km stretch of the Chambal River during 2017-2019, using hydrophones and aerial mics. A POP event occurs when a male produces a single or double or triple POP, each with a specific duration and timing. A POP event was incorporated into a complex, multi-modal breathing display, typically performed by each male during the breeding season. Key features of this novel gharial POP signal are document

SUBMITTER: Ajji M J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11828749 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature