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Thread: Mantella Conservation Project - Facebook Page

  1. #1

    Post Mantella Conservation Project - Facebook Page

    Hi everyone,

    Upon the publishing of the first part of my Mantella article series for Practical Reptile Keeping magazine on the 4th of April, I created a Facebook like-page to try and raise awareness about these fascinating and unique genera of Anura.

    Please feel free to join and invite your friends, by clicking on the photo below which contains a Hyper-link;

    Click image for larger version. 

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    The Mantella Conservation Project aims to raise awareness about one of the world’s most beautiful and highly endangered genera of Anura (Frogs & Toads), the Malagasy Golden Frogs or more commonly known as Mantella.

    We will supply the public with information about conservation efforts in Madagascar and also Hobbyists, Collectors, Zoo Keepers and Conservationists with information about how keep and breed these amazing species in captivity.

    With the genus first being correctly described by Belgium born zoologist George Albert Boulenger in 1882, Mantella are a small genus of approximately 16 Poison Dart Frog (Dendrobatidae - Cope, 1865) like Anuran’s which can be found in many different Biotopes across the island. Because they share many similarities to their Neotropical relatives the Poison Dart Frog family (Dendrobatidae - Cope, 1865), the original discoverer Alfred Grandidier placed the species known as the Brown Leaf Mantella (Mantella betsileo - Grandidier, 1872) and Madagascan Mantella (Mantella madagascarensis) into the family Dendrobatidae which was mainly attributed to their use of Aposematism as a defence. However, it was eventually corrected in 1882 by Boulenger who placed the species at the time into the newly created, Mantella genus and since then more species have been discovered or reclassified.

    The 16 species are known as the following:
    • Golden Mantella (Mantella aurantiaca) CR – (Mocquard, 1900)
    • Harlequin Mantella (Mantella cowanni) CR – (Boulenger, 1882)
    • Climbing Mantella (Mantella laevigata) NT – (Methuen & Hewitt, 1913)
    • Brown Leaf Mantella (Mantella betsileo) LC – (Grandidier, 1872)
    • Harald Meier’s Mantella (Mantella haraldmeieri) VU – (Busse, 1981)
    • Baron’s Painted Mantella (Mantella baroni) LC – (Boulenger, 1888)
    • Bernhard’s Mantella (Mantella bernhardi) EN – (Vences, Glaw, Peyrieras, Böhme & Busse, 1994)
    • Bronze Mantella (Mantella ebenaui) LC – (Boettger, 1880)
    • Yellow Mantella (Mantella crocea) EN – (Pintak & Böhme, 1990)
    • Blue-legged Mantella (Mantella expectata) EN – (Busse & Böhme, 1992)
    • Malagasy Painted Mantella (Mantella madagascariensis) VU – (Grandidier, 1872)
    • Marojejy Mantella (Mantella manery) VU – (Vences, Glaw & Böhme, 1999)
    • Black-eared Mantella (Mantella milotympanum) CR - (Staniszewski, 1996)
    • Guibe’s Mantella (Mantella nigricans) LC – (Guibé, 1978)
    • Beautiful Mantella (Mantella pulchra) VU – (Parker, 1925)
    • Green Mantella (Mantella viridis) EN – (Pintak & Böhme, 1988)


    Each species has its own variation in colouration, due to the use of Aposematism or loosely translated from Greek “Warning Colouration”, an adaptation used most commonly by the Poison Dart Frogs of the Neo-tropics and when you look at both side by side, you can really see why they were originally thought to be Poison Dart Frogs.

    Unfortunately and shockingly, this genus like so much of Madagascar’s wildlife is under serious threat of extinction and with approximately 90% (World Wildlife Fund - 2001) of the islands fauna and flora being solely endemic to Madagascar, we are in danger of losing all this unique wildlife.
    The biggest threat is mainly Habitat-loss, which is solely attributed to the actions of people, both native and foreign to Madagascar. People have affected the naturally occurring habitats so much that it is believed that most of the land has been lost permanently, the “Slash and Burn” or also known as “Tavy” techniques are mainly responsible for much of the Deforestation across most of Madagascar.

    The habitat-loss issue has isolated and fragmented many of the known localities for many members of the Mantella genus, but another big factor in their decline is the every growing popularity within our Pet Industry. For decades, wild caught specimens have been annually exported from the island in large numbers either illegally or legally and most species including the Golden Mantella (Mantella aurantiaca - Mocquard, 1900) have been already established in captivity. This species, despite its high categorisation on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species of Critically Endangered, can be commonly found due to being incredibly easy to breed and is quite sought after by many Amphibian or Mantella enthusiasts.
    But unfortunately for the rest of the genus, the same cannot be said for them. Most Mantella are incredibly hard to come by with only occasional sales of the odd few individuals, leaving a huge gap in the market for individuals to be imported to satisfy demands.

    HOW YOU CAN HELP US:-

    Please once you have joined our group, invite your friends to carry on raising awareness across the globe.

    If you wish to provide Published Information (of your own), Conservation Information, Photographs and other forms of media then please don't hesitate to "Private Message" us via the "Message" function box or even simply posting on our publically viewed wall.

    Please Note - Joining this page will not save any species of Amphibian, this page is in use to provide Information, News and Media types to raise awareness.

  2. This member thanks MantellaGuy for this post:


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  4. #2

    Default Mantella Conservation Project - Facebook Page

    Ya man, already liked and shared


    Education is the most powerful weapon we can use to change the world ~ Nelson Mandela
    1.0.0 Oophaga Pumilio 'Black Jeans'
    0.0.10 Phyllobates Vittatus
    0.0.3 Phyllobates Terribilis 'Mint'
    0.0.3 Dendrobates Tinctorius 'Patricia'
    0.0.5 Dendrobates Leucomelas
    0.0.2 Dendrobates Tinctorius 'Powder Blue'
    0.0.2 Ranitomeya Variabilis 'southern'
    0.0.3 Epipedobates Anthonyi 'zarayunga'
    1.2.0 Phyllobates bicolor
    0.0.3 Dendrobates tinctorius 'azureus'
    0.0.1 Avicularia Avicularia
    0.0.1 Gramastola porteri
    0.2.0 Canines
    1.0.0 Tabby/Maine Coon Mix
    2.1.0 Genetics Experiments
    0.1.0 Bed Bully

  5. #3

    Default Re: Mantella Conservation Project - Facebook Page

    Quote Originally Posted by deranged chipmunk View Post
    Ya man, already liked and shared


    Education is the most powerful weapon we can use to change the world ~ Nelson Mandela
    Awesome buddy!! Lets hope people continue to go on liking this and helping!!

  6. #4
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    Default Re: Mantella Conservation Project - Facebook Page

    Like and shared. Thanks for sharing this Josh!
    1.1.0 - Oophaga Pumilio 'Blue Jeans' (2014 Nicaragua Import)
    1.1.0 - Oophaga Pumilio 'Chirique Grande' F1
    1.1.0 - D. Tinctorius 'Citronella'
    1.2.0 - D. Tinctorius 'Azureus'
    0.0.2 - D. Tinctorius 'Sipaliwini'
    0.0.2 - D. Tinctorius 'New River'
    0.0.4 - D. Tinctorius 'Leucomelas'
    0.0.4 - Terribilis 'Mint'
    1.1.0 - R. Ventrimaculatus 'French Guiana'

    Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/hashtagfrogs
    Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgC...sEZiZQoT8sOuuw

  7. #5

    Default Re: Mantella Conservation Project - Facebook Page

    Hi all,

    Following the success of my Husbandry (#60 - April) and Breeding (#63 - June) Mantella articles in Practical Reptile Keeping Magazine, I was receiving a lot of feedback from people who didn't realise that all 16 species within the Mantella genus were categorised upon the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as Endangered (Covering all 5 categorisations). I also received disturbing messages from people that truly believed Madagascar was a Fictional country and didn't realise what wonders were to be found on this island of absolute marvels.

    Click image for larger version. 

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    So, I thought an article was needed to not only talk about the species in more detail and the country they come from, but also raise awareness of the threats this amazing genus and other Malagasy species face in the wild and the projects currently working hard to Educate and Conserve through various methods.


    With a huge thanks to Devin Edmonds, at Association Mitsinjo, for providing the details about the projects and their progress and so much more.


    Click image for larger version. 

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    Only a relatively few high-profile conservation projects feature in the general media. There are many others, however, that can be very significant for the survival of species, and there is certain no uniform approach that can be guaranteed to give results. In this article, Joshua Ralph discusses the current conservation efforts being undertaken by facilities on the ground in Madagascar, aiming to preserve members of the genus Mantella.
    The issue (#67) is available to purchase now, at either Kelseyshop.co.uk, WHSmiths stores (UK), Pets At Home (UK) and also eBay (International). However, a PDF copy of this article will be available when the issue is outdated enough.


    Many thanks,

    Joshua Ralph

  8. #6
    Moderator tgampper's Avatar
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    Default Re: Mantella Conservation Project - Facebook Page

    Thanks for sharing! I love your passion for Mantellas
    Terry Gampper
    Nebraska Herpetological Society




    “If we can discover the meaning in the trilling of a frog, perhaps we may understand why it is for us not merely noise but a song of poetry and emotion.”
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    Adrian Forsyth

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