Editing Amphibian (section)

== Vocalization ==
[[File:Dendropsophus microcephalus - calling male (Cope, 1886).jpg|thumb|alt=Male treefrog calling|Male treefrog (''[[Dendropsophus microcephalus]]'') inflating his air sac as he calls]]
The calls made by caecilians and salamanders are limited to occasional soft squeaks, grunts or hisses and have not been much studied. A clicking sound sometimes produced by caecilians may be a means of orientation, as in bats, or a form of communication. Most salamanders are considered [[voiceless]], but the [[California giant salamander]] (''Dicamptodon ensatus'') has vocal cords and can produce a rattling or barking sound. Some species of salamander emit a quiet squeak or yelp if attacked.{{sfn | Stebbins | Cohen | 1995 | pp=76–77 }}

[[File:American Toad singing.jpg|thumb|American toad (''[[Anaxyrus americanus]]'') singing]]
Frogs are much more vocal, especially during the breeding season when they use their voices to attract mates. The presence of a particular species in an area may be more easily discerned by its characteristic call than by a fleeting glimpse of the animal itself. In most species, the sound is produced by expelling air from the lungs over the vocal cords into one or more [[vocal sac|air sacs]] in the throat or at the corner of the mouth. This may distend like a balloon and acts as a resonator, helping to transfer the sound to the atmosphere, or the water at times when the animal is submerged.{{sfn | Stebbins | Cohen | 1995 | pp=76–77 }} The main vocalisation is the male's loud advertisement call which seeks to both encourage a female to approach and discourage other males from intruding on its territory. This call is modified to a quieter courtship call on the approach of a female or to a more aggressive version if a male intruder draws near. Calling carries the risk of attracting predators and involves the expenditure of much energy.<ref>{{cite journal |author=Sullivan, Brian K. |year=1992 |title=Sexual selection and calling behavior in the American toad (''Bufo americanus'') |journal=Copeia |volume=1992 |issue=1 |pages=1–7 |jstor=1446530 |doi=10.2307/1446530 }}</ref> Other calls include those given by a female in response to the advertisement call and a release call given by a male or female during unwanted attempts at amplexus. When a frog is attacked, a distress or fright call is emitted, often resembling a scream.<ref>{{Cite thesis |chapter=Capitulo 4 |title=When frogs scream! A review of anuran defensive vocalizations |chapter-url= http://www.athena.biblioteca.unesp.br/exlibris/bd/brc/33004137003P3/2007/pereira_lftr_dr_rcla.pdf#page=110 |author1=Toledo, L. F. |author2= Haddad, C. F. B. |year=2007 |publisher=Instituto de Biociências, São Paulo |access-date=August 13, 2012 |archive-date=September 4, 2012 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120904084231/http://www.athena.biblioteca.unesp.br/exlibris/bd/brc/33004137003P3/2007/pereira_lftr_dr_rcla.pdf#page=110 |url-status=live }}</ref> The usually nocturnal Cuban tree frog (''Osteopilus septentrionalis'') produces a rain call when there is rainfall during daylight hours.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/uw259 |title=The Cuban Treefrog (''Osteopilus septentrionalis'') in Florida |author=Johnson, Steve A. |year=2010 |work=EDIS |publisher=University of Florida |access-date=August 13, 2012 |archive-date=August 20, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120820233346/http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/uw259 |url-status=live }}</ref>