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Thread: Baron's Mantella (Mantella baroni) Specimens Indentification Breakdown

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    Post Baron's Mantella (Mantella baroni) Specimens Indentification Breakdown

    Hi all,


    Simple post that I thought people would be interested in hearing about (Particularly those interested in Mantella). These specimens, three in total, were purchased as Baron's Mantella (Mantella baroni) CB13 and they were/are incredible specimens but also incredibly young.


    However, some comments from various experienced Mantella keepers and some visual recognition from myself started to give me a few doubts in my mind as to if they are in fact Mantella baroni at all. They are still colouring up, as it were, but they aren't far from becoming fully mature specimens.



    The Species


    So to start off, here is two other possible species these three could be and in order, here are their descriptions typically known;

    * Baron's Mantella (Mantella baroni).
    * Malagasy Mantella (Mantella madagascariensis).
    * Beautiful Mantella (Mantella pulchra).

    * Baron's Mantella (Mantella baroni)

    Baron's Mantella (Mantella baroni)
    "Mantella baroni is a small frog, with adults measuring 22-30 mm in snout-vent length. The head, dorsum, and flanks are solid black. A yellowish rostral stripe is apparent, generally ending past the eye. The front limb and femur are yellow to greenish in appearance, with this coloration continuing up the flanks into a large, rounded flank blotch. These flank blotches will sometimes expand dorsally across the back and connect to the opposite side blotch, resulting in a more yellow dorsum (this is most often seen in M. baroni from the Andringitra region). Hindlimbs (tibia, tarsus, and foot) are orange with irregular black stripes. There are no flashmarks on the lower hindlimbs, in contrast to those of M. madagascariensis. The venter, throat, and limbs are black and marked with a few yellow to greenish, rarely blue blotches. The throat has one circular marking, but may be all black. The iris is black (Glaw and Vences 2007)."



    Malagasy Mantella (Mantella madagascariensis)
    "General body shape rather stout. SVL 20-27 mm (M 21-22 mm, F 24-25 mm). Upper head surface, dorsum and flanks usually blackish without recognizable dorsolateral colour border. Yellowish rostral stripe present. Femur and humerus yellow to green, this colour extending as large flank blotches onto the flanks and sometimes onto the dorsum. Distinct orange flashmarks present. Tibia, tarsus and foot orange, with or without blackish crossbands and marblings. Iris mostly containing light pigment in its upper part. Rostral stripe often in contact with flank blotch. Specimens of unknown origin in the pet trade were more variable yellow colour in varying extension can sometimes be present on the dorsum. All intermediate states from a few yellow spots, to a reticulated yellow marbling or a dense yellow speckling are known. A greenish frenal stripe, often interrupted, can be present as well. Other specimens are nearly uniformly yellow dorsally and ventrally, with only a few blackish spots and marblings. In these specimens, the more distinct yellow surface in the flank blotch area is reminiscent of the typical colouration, but it is not clear whether they really are conspecific with M. madagascariensis. Venter, throat and forelimbs black with light markings (mostly whitish-blue, sometimes yellow to green). These being generally rather large, rounded, and situated posteriorly on the venter. Distinct horseshoe marking present, more extended in males. Femur, tibia (except flashmark area), tarsus and foot often uniformly orange, in other specimens with areas of black and yellow (the latter corresponding to yellow colour on the dorsal surface). Areas of femoral “glands” often darkly pigmented. In some specimens, femur nearly totally black with blue spots. In “variable” specimens, entirely ventral pattern sometimes replaced by a dense yellow marbling.
    Variation: Genetically, specimens from the Ranomafana area (in the general region where the types have been collected) are not placed in one clade with specimens from the Moramanga area. These south-eastern specimens which are to be considered as typical M. madagascariensis have a smaller body size but otherwise are not distinguishable from the central-eastern specimens by morphology or colouration.
    Similar species: M. baroni is more slender and has no reddish flashmarks, M. pulchra is less colourful dorsally and has no distinct yellowish rostral stripe."


    Beautiful Mantella (Mantella pulchra)
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    "General body shape rather stout, 21-25 mm (M 22-23 mm). Dorsum and flanks dark brown to black. On the upper head surface, the dark colour of the dorsum gradually fading into light brown. Dorsolateral colour border present; indistinct in the inguinal region, but very distinct in the head and shoulder region. Hand, fibula, foot, tarsus and tibia light brown, with few dark brown crossbands. Humerus and femur yellow to green, in some specimens (locality unknown) blue. This colour extending as relatively large flank blotches onto the flanks. Flank blotches delimited by the dorsolateral colouration border and not extending onto the dorsum. Bright red flash marks present. Iris with light pigment in its upper part. Venter, throat, forelimbs and femur dark brown to black with small, generally regularly rounded whitish-blue spots and a distinct horseshoe marking, which in males can cover nearly the complete throat. Tibia with a distinct orange marking, sometimes continued on the knee, distal part of femur and foot. In preservative, this colouration changes, becoming partly bright red and partly white, with a sharp border between both colouration. A similar but less distinct change is also observed in specimens of M. madagascariensis."


    Now after reading those very exact and cited descriptions of the two other species (including the debated species) what would you assume these are after referring to the photos of the said specimens?


    Description Breakdown


    Firstly, it is quite evident that these specimens are not those of a Mantella pulchra locality or even in their typical colouration (Refer to Picture comment "Beautiful Mantella (Mantella pulchra) Specimen"). However, you can distinctly see colouration/morphological similarities to the incredibly similar (to the layman) species, Mantella madagascariensis.


    But lets break down, step by step, the differences of both species, in regards to my particular specimens.

    Rostral Stripe
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    • My specimens - "Yellowish, with Green Tints, Rostral Stripe ending just after the eye and just before it connects with the Flank Blotch. Speckling is minor but does connect the Flank with the Rostral Stripe."
    • M.baroni - "A yellowish rostral stripe is apparent, generally ending past the eye."
    • M.madagascariensis - "Yellowish rostral stripe present. Rostral stripe often in contact with flank blotch."
    • Conclusion - Taking this into account, it is quite evident that said specimens have what is considered more typically, M.baroni Rostral stripe. However, in several photographs I have seen speckles of yellow that appear to run along and connect the Rostral Stripe with the Flank Blotch, this is very slight but it is there.


    Head, Dorsum, and Flanks
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    • My specimens - "Solid Black, no Blemishes of any kind can be seen."
    • M.baroni - "The head, dorsum, and flanks are solid black."
    • M.madagascariensis - "Upper head surface, dorsum and flanks usually blackish without recognizable dorsolateral colour border."
    • Conclusion - This is quite evident in the said specimens, so it certainly carries a typical trait between both species of M.baroni and M.madagascariensis.


    Front Limb, Hind Limb and Flank Blotches
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    • My specimens - "Frontal limbs show Greenish (upper-arm) and Yellowish (mid-arm/elbow) and Brown (lower-arm) basal colouration with brown/black speckling. Hind Limbs show a Yellowish colouration with varied mixture of Green aswell being present the closer the leg connects with the body (where the Flank Blotch is located). Flank blotches are typically Green with a tint of Turquoise along the edges of the shape. Lower legs are burnt Orange/Red to slightly brighter Red Colouration, with Brown/Black stripes apparent."
    • M.baroni - "The front limb and femur are yellow to greenish in appearance, with this coloration continuing up the flanks into a large, rounded flank blotch. These flank blotches will sometimes expand dorsally across the back and connect to the opposite side blotch, resulting in a more yellow dorsum. Hindlimbs (tibia, tarsus, and foot) are orange with irregular black stripes."
    • M.madagascariensis - "Femur and humerus yellow to green, this colour extending as large flank blotches onto the flanks and sometimes onto the dorsum. Tibia, tarsus and foot orange, with or without blackish crossbands and marblings."
    • Conclusion - Both the M.baroni and M.madagascariensis species have these two distinct and highly variable Yellow to Green colouration present along the Front Limbs and along the top part of the Hind limb, which is clearly apparent in my specimens. What isn't described in either specimens is the Blueish tint along the edge of the Flank Blotches, which has been described in Mantella pulchra depending on locality. The hind limb colouration is also one that is not very distinct on my particular specimens, varying in colouration from dark burnt orange to Red.


    Flash Marks
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    • My specimens - "Both Minor and Clear Flash marks can be seen on the specimens, typically Yellow to slight orange in colourations.
    • M.baroni - "There are no flashmarks on the lower hindlimbs, in contrast to those of M. madagascariensis."
    • M.madagascariensis - "Distinct orange flashmarks present."
    • Conclusion - It is clear that the specimens do not exhibit a colouration flash mark that Mantella pulchra possess which is bright red, however they do clearly have a Flash mark in some way by the distinct yellow/orange marking.


    Ventral Markings (Hind legs, Venter and Throat)
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    • My specimens - "Hind legs exhibit a bright red colouration and femoral markings are obvious with a basal colour of dark reddish brown with White Speckling. All specimens have Blue Blotches upon the Venter (Stomach) situated towards the lower end and the Throat markings are blue but a mixture of a distinct horseshoe shape and minor imperfections that could lead to blotches."
    • M.baroni - "The venter, throat, and limbs are black and marked with a few yellow to greenish, rarely blue blotches."
    • M.madagascariensis - "Venter, throat and forelimbs black with light markings (mostly whitish-blue, sometimes yellow to green). These being generally rather large, rounded, and situated posteriorly on the venter. Distinct horseshoe marking present, more extended in males. Areas of femoral “glands” often darkly pigmented. In some specimens, femur nearly totally black with blue spots."
    • Conclusion - What is obvious, is that my specimens clearly exhibit similar colourations and morphological similarities to that of Mantella madagascariensis, especially when looking at the the above. The Femoral Markings are quite distinct in this case which is not seen often in M.baroni specimens.


    Thats the end of the post, it is clear that it is quite mixed in regards to the colouration but it does point in the direction of Mantella madagascariensis! Obviously, testing will be required with Swabbing as Colourations and Morphological differences are not always reliable however, I think it provides a huge case that these could be either species, but more pointing towards Mantella madagascariensis. In my opinion, they are highly likely to be M.madagascariensis, this has also been discussed with various experts in this particular field, and they agreed.

    But nothing is concrete unless testing can be performed.


    Feel free to have a discussion about this those of you that are interested!


    Kind regards,

    Joshua Ralph
    Moderator

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