Mantella laevigata (Methuen & Hewitt, 1913) - Climbing Mantella, Lowland Mantella, Arboreal Mantella, Green-backed Mantella

Climbing Mantella, Mantella laevigata (Photo: ©2009 John P. Clare www.frogforum.net)		Family:	Mantellidae (Mantellas & kin)
		Origin:	Northeastern Madagascar
		Adult Snout-to-Vent Length:	Male: 24 mm (0.94 inches); Female: 28-30 mm (1.10-1.18 inches)
		IUCN (Red List) Status:	Near Threatened (NT)
		Similar Species:	Mantella betsileo, Brown Mantella Mantella expectata, Blue-Legged Mantella

Meet the Frog Part 6: the Climbing Mantella, Mantella laevigata

Mantellas are a group of small, often brightly-colored frogs native to the island of Madagascar. Superficially, they resemble the South American poison dart frogs, but mantellas are more closely related to the Ranids or true frogs. Some people even consider them to be members of the family Ranidae. To make matters more confusing, mantellas inhabit a similar niche to that of the dart frogs and, like dart frogs, they too are diurnal. Mantellas are a prime example of convergent evolution.

Climbing Mantella, Mantella laevigata (Photo: ©2009 John P. Clare www.frogforum.net)

In the past, mantellas were imported with some regularity. Nowadays, very few of the 16 species are imported due to the decline of many of their populations. Among those still imported are the Painted Mantella, the Brown Mantella, the Beautiful Mantella, and the Climbing/Lowland Mantella, Mantella laevigata, the subject of this article.

Mantella laevigata can be described as a small, black frog with a green to yellow dorsum. The underside has blue or grayish blue spots, which are often present on the feet. Digits are enlarged, allowing this mostly terrestrial frog to climb. The throat is black without markings or pattern of any kind, a feature that helps to differentiate them from similar mantella species.

This species of mantella can be found up to four meters off the ground in rain and bamboo forest. It breeds off the ground in tree holes or in bamboo nodes that are filled with rain water. Eggs are laid singly above these water-filled pools in March and October. Generally, only one tadpole can be found in each tree hole, but occasionally two may be found, each at a different stage of development. Tadpoles feed upon unfertilized eggs provided by the mother frog, a behavior more associated the poison dart frogs. Eggs of other tree hole-breeding frogs are also consumed. When eggs are not readily available, tadpoles become omnivorous.

Breeding may take place in the trees, but feeding usually occurs at ground level. The natural diet of Mantella laevigata consists of ants, termites, and other small insects. In captivity, fruit flies and small crickets will be accepted.

Keeping Mantella laevigata, like all mantellas, is similar to keeping poison dart frogs, with one exception: their terrarium should be on the tall side, with branches and foliage on which to climb. Humidity should be around 80%. Ideally, the keeper should provide water sources off of the floor of the enclosure.

Threats to this species include deforestation and over-collection for the pet trade.

References

1. Vences, Miguel & Glaw, Frank Mantella laevigata 2000 Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics in the Zoological Museum at the University of Amsterdam. http://www.amphibiaweb.org/

2. Staniszewski, Marc Marc Staniszewski's Mantella FAQ 1998 Marc Staniszewski's Amphibian Information Centre http://www.amphibian.co.uk/

3. Staniszewski, Marc Guide To Owning A Mantella 1997 TFH Publications.

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©2010 Kurt Kunze

Written by Kurt Kunze in September 2009.

Edited by John P. Clare - Last updated 3rd January 2010.

About the Author
Kurt Kunze is a self educated herpetologist and a member of the New England Herpetological Society based in South Weymouth, Massachusetts, USA. He has been a herpetologist for the past ten years or so, before that he was a professional aquarist, working with everything from guppies and goldfish to sharks and octopus. He has worked for the Museum of Science in Boston in their Live Animal Center and for the Museum of Natural History of Harvard University as a gallery guide. At the MoS, he worked with various reptiles and amphibian species, including alligators, snakes, lizards, turtles, and frogs. At Harvard, he did live animal demonstrations and educated visitors in paleontology, particularly on Mesozoic reptiles. His husbandry skills were refined by working at the MoS, as well as with the late Barbara Bonner DVM at her Turtle Hospital. Kurt has also co-authored the questionnaire for Assumption College's Science Olympiad on herpetology for the past two years. Kurt makes his home in Billerica, Massachusetts, USA, along with his small "zoo", which includes various scorpions, fish, salamanders, turtles, snakes, and of course, frogs. His interests center on the Hylids, Dendrobatids, Bufonids, & Microhylids. Kurt has bred the Red-Eyed Leaf Frog, Agalychnis callidryas, and has plans to breed the Red-Banded Rubber Frog, Phrynomantis bifasciatus, the False or Southern Tomato Frog, Dyscophus guineti, and the Fire-Bellied Toad, Bombina orientalis.
John P. Clare hails from Ireland and is the founder of FrogForum.net and Caudata.org. He has had an interest in amphibians since the age of 4. He holds a degree in Natural Science and a PhD in Chemistry. His primary research interests are the synthesis and study of molecules for the remediation of freshwater pollutants. In his spare time he likes to photograph amphibians and reptiles in the wild. His photographs have been published in everything from children's books to university level textbooks. His photos have featured in such diverse media as the programme "Brink" on the Science Channel in the US, Texas Parks and Wildlife literature, the Boston Museum of Science, Palais de la Découverte Science Museum in Paris, France, and several Zoological Institutions' brochures and exhibit ID cards.