Mixing Mantellas

[ems1016]

There are three types of Mantellas I would love to own (haven't bought any yet): blue legged mantella (mantella expactata), painted mantella (mantella baroni) and the black-eyed mantella (mantella milotympanum). Are these difficult to find? Can these possibly share the same vivarium?

I am new to this, so I am sure this will appear as a stupid question to you experienced herpetologists, but I have a keen interest in frogs and would be very interested in learning more. Ed

[Socrates]

I would NOT recommend mixing species, as their skin secretions are different and are potentially toxic to one another. Also mantellas can be territorial which if there is different species together will lead to a stressed environment. Also painted mantella are in the process or have been placed on the IUCN Red list as endangered and the Mantella expactata is also IUCN listed as endangered as for the black-eyed I am not sure. Thus I'm not certain how easily one can attain these. I know that they are not allowing the exportation of the Mantella baroni anymore (and of course Mantella expactata is already not allowed to be exported from Madagascar).

[ems1016]

Socrates: If we can find captive raised endangered species, buy them and successfully raise them, can not the hobbyist, thereby, make a positive contribution to their preservation?

I suppose it is a Catch 22 situation. Hobbyist demands, I suppose, are actually, in some instances, the very cause of the endangerment, no?

Ed

[Wembley]

I have mantella pulchra and mantella madagascariensis, I do have them in the same vivarium. I purchased them from a seller who listed them as painted mantellas, so I just bought four without knowing they were different species until I got them home. Needless to say was a little upset. (This is a common mistake in the pet trade with Mantellas I have since discovered.) Unfortunately only had money for the one vivarium I had already created so they all are in the same tank.

The two different species behave differently from each other the one pulchra likes to hide and have his own space, the madagascariensis tend to climb around a lot more and be all over each other.
These two species seem to do okay together, but I for sure would never mix mantella species or any frog species on purpose, the adjustment to living with one another seems like it would be stressful, and potentially deadly.

Mantella are not to hard to get a hold of however, just be sure you know what you are getting. Mantella do require lower temperatures than dart frogs, and this can sometimes be hard to maintain depending where you live. My only other note on my experience with them, is they hide more than you actually see them.

[Paul Rust]

Mixing species is not acceptable, the reasons are too numerous to argue here. As far as helping a species by breeding them goes, if you are serious than you need to join an organization that monitors and tracks these activities so that bloodlines can be tracked and verified. Otherwise you are just another breeder contributing nothing to the greater good, whitch is fine if you are breeding to sell them. TWI's Amphibian Steward Network is such an organization.

[Wembley]

Oh one more note, I do plan on separating them when budget permits.

[Paul Rust]

Oh one more note, I do plan on separating them when budget permits.

You posted while I was typing, I was not targeting you. Circumstances are what they are. We just do the best we can.

[Wembley]

Cool, didn't think you were. However, I am all for frog ownership responsibility, so just wanted to drive the non mixing species point home.

[Kurt]

Mantella baroni/madagascariensis are common in the pet trade. The other two not so much. I know someone that breeds Mantella viridis and aurantiaca. He is also a member here.

Black Jungle is trying to unload some captive bred viridis at the moment. See there ad at kingsnake.com or better yet, see them in Manchester this weekend.