Photo 9 of 11 from Baron's Mantella (Mantella baroni)

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Baron's Mantella
Nomenclature: Mantella baroni
1.2.0
IUCN Red List: Least Concerned
Country of Origin: East-central Madagascar from Fierenana south to Andringitra.

Information: This species is 1 of 16 species in the Mantella genus all of which use Aposematism as a defence mechanism. Aposematism basically derives from the Greek words that mean "Warning Colours" a defence which has made another family of frogs famous, the Dendrobatidae family (Poison Dart Frogs). It is a terrestrial species in rainforest. It has also been found outside forest in slash-and-burn areas, even at considerable distance from forest. It probably cannot tolerate complete opening up of the habitat. The eggs are laid on land, and the larvae are washed by rain into streams, where they develop.

It is one of the most common members of the entire genus and this species is widely distributed in Eastern Madagascar, with recent records from Fierenana south to Andringitra. It's mainly threatened by the decline of its forest habitat due to subsistence agriculture, timber extraction, charcoal manufacture, invasive spread of eucalyptus, livestock grazing and expanding human settlements. However, over collecting for commercial and private purposes is a potential threat to the species (like most of the genus), but doesn't have any apparent or drastic effects.

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Photo Added
July 17th, 2014
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Baron's Mantella (Mantella baroni)
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MantellaGuy