My Mantella Collection.

[maxQ]

Wow they are so handsome...love them. Thanks for posting these guys.

[MantellaGuy]

Thank you very much Gary There are more available after your post now too!

[MantellaGuy]

Here is my pair of Arboreal or Climbing Mantella (Mantella laevigata) that are pretty much my most secretive animal in my entire collection (Even my Scaphiophyrne species come out more than these guys lol)

Arboreal Mantella
Nomenclature: Mantella laevigata
IUCN Red List: Near Threatened
Country of Origin: Ambavala, Ambodimanga (Mananara), Folohy, Marojejy, Nosy Mangabe, Tsararano in Madagascar.

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). This species is probably one of the oddest within the entire genus, being completely unique and showing a few similarities to the Oophaga genus of Central America. Just like the Oophaga (Greek for "Egg-eater") genus they provide their offspring with an infertile egg to feed upon, they are also more arboreal than other members of the Mantella genus which is quite a lot like their Dendrobatidae (Poison Dart Frogs) counterparts. It's a shy member of the genus, unlike some Mantella species that are more bold and will venture out into the open.

It is one of the most common members of the entire genus and this species is widely distributed in North-eastern Madagascar, with recent records from Marojejy south to Folohy. 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.

© 2013 (These are copyrighted photographs, please ask permission before using

Excuse the lack of photos for this species, I hardly get to see them!!

[jz24]

Hi Mantella Guy,

You have made my day with these gorgeous photos! I am considering mantellas as my next species, but have heard they need cooler temperatures. My summertime viv Temps can reach 79. Is that too warm do you think? Thank you for taking the time to read this.

Judy

[MantellaGuy]

Hi Mantella Guy,

You have made my day with these gorgeous photos! I am considering mantellas as my next species, but have heard they need cooler temperatures. My summertime viv Temps can reach 79. Is that too warm do you think? Thank you for taking the time to read this.

Judy

Hey Judy,

Well thank you very much for the kind words and for looking Very kind! Mantella are a very underestimated genus I personally thingk and that they should be kept more widely lol Hmmmm I would say that a majority of the genus wouldn't be able to handle temperatures as high as that unless you can get an AC unit? The only species that would tolerate Temperatures that high and higher would be the Mantella expectata that can live in temperatures as high as 28-30'c but don't forget that this can be for only short periods of time, the wild doesn't have a thermostat!

I do have a list of temperatures for each of the 16 members of the genus somewhere so I shall write it out for you

Josh

[MantellaGuy]

Thought I would give this a little bump, shall be uploading new photos soon!

[MantellaGuy]

Hi all,

Thought I would upload some photographs of my Green Mantella (Mantella viridis) adults and some of the offspring that I have currently (I won't be too optimistic as I have had crashes before which I have been devastated by).









I have 15 Tadpoles in total which I consider a good batch, I hope you enjoy the photos!!

Merry Christmas,

Josh