A peek at my Brown Mantellas (mantella betsileo)

[Geo]

Thanks Lynn. Are you referring to the last photo of the closeup full on side of one of the males?

[deranged chipmunk]

they look awesome George!! you are doing very well by them and it shows!!

[Geo]

Thanks Bill. I am hoping to seem some breeding from them in the spring. I am not certain if I have enough males though. I have 6 of mantellas and thought that I heard chirping / clicking from two of them but the last week it has only been one who has done it with any regularity and the calling seems to relate to him defending a small cave area that he has claimed for himself. Soooooo I am not certain if I have 1 male and 5 females. If so I need to get my hands on a couple more males but it may be too soon to tell.

[Geo]

The white-neon blue belly markings of the Mantella Betsileo. This is my largest female showing off her belly after a small snack of a few wingless fruit flies.

[Geo]

An example of amplexus within the Mantella Betsileo species.

[s6t6nic6l]

some very nice pics there. tis great when we get pics showing the underside markings. frogs look good.

[Mmfh]

Those are beautiful frogs! The name of brown mantilla does not do them justice.

[Geo]

I have noticed that the neon blue on their stomachs/legs has become a bit more intense/pronounced since I introduced:

- brackish (clean tannin infused (thx Bill!)) water to their habitat. It is water that I cycle in another tank with wood (Malaysian bogwood etc) present in it. The tannins from the wood create a "tea" like affect that they seem to prefer over sterile water.
- used a dusting of reptivite on the fruit flies (melanogaster) that I feed them every 2nd day. Feeding schedule is partially based on how active they are. IE if they aren't hanging out at the "feeding rock" (large flat rock that I lay their food on) then I skip the feeding until the next day.
- periodic feeding of red mites from my compost. They go crazy for these. Don't over feed though because it seems to throw off their eating pattern. Suspecting that they are fattening / enriched in comparison to the fruit flies.
- changed lighting to a T5 light canopy on a 12/12 cycle.

I noticed that the diamond/helix patterns on their backs has become more obvious and the brown body coloration has darkened a bit to a nice bronze (except for one male who has remained light mocha in color). They are very active but the chirping stopped a little over a month ago. I am not certain if this pertains to a change in territorial disputes / mating / seasonal changes.