Abstract
Niche partitioning -- the differential use of resources, space, or time among co-occurring species to reduce interspecific
competition -- is a fundamental mechanism maintaining species diversity in ecological communities. Amphibian
assemblages, where multiple species co-occur in shared wetland and forest habitats during the breeding season, provide
tractable systems for examining niche partitioning along multiple dimensions simultaneously. This study examines habitat
preference and niche partitioning in 32 co-occurring amphibian species across seasonal wetland, forest stream, and
rocky hill habitats of the Eastern Ghats in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, India, using multivariate microhabitat
characterisation, acoustic niche analysis, and temporal activity profiling at 24 sites surveyed over two monsoon seasons
(2021-2022). Habitat partitioning is documented along five niche axes: breeding microhabitat (standing water vs. stream
vs. terrestrial), calling site height, calling frequency (Hz), temporal calling activity pattern, and larval microhabitat. Niche
overlap analysis confirms significant partitioning along all five axes, with acoustic niche partitioning (calling frequency and
timing) the strongest axis separating co-occurring species. Species pairs with high habitat overlap show significantly
lower acoustic overlap than expected by chance, confirming acoustic character displacement. Microhabitat humidity,
temperature, and vegetation structure are the strongest predictors of individual species microhabitat selection. Climate
change implications for acoustic niche disruption and interspecific competition are discussed.