Mantella Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Mantella

The Golden mantella (Mantella aurantiaca) from Madagascar.
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Amphibia
Order:	Anura
Family:	Mantellidae
Subfamily:	Mantellinae
Genus:	*Mantella* Boulenger, 1882
Type species
Dendrobates betsileo Grandidier, 1872
Diversity
16 species

Mantella frogs, also known as golden frogs or Malagasy poison frogs, are a special group of frogs found only on the island of Madagascar. These frogs are famous for their bright colors, which warn predators that they might be poisonous. They are active during the day and live on land. Each species has its own unique colors or patterns.

Amazing Similarities
What They Look Like
Where They Live
- Local Color Differences
Species of Mantella Frogs
Threats to Mantella Frogs
Gallery
See also

Amazing Similarities

Mantella frogs are a cool example of convergent evolution. This is when different animals develop similar features independently. Mantella frogs look a lot like poison dart frogs from Latin America. They are similar in size, looks, and even some behaviors. But don't be fooled! They are not related at all.

When these frogs were first discovered in the late 1800s, scientists like Alfred Grandidier thought they were part of the Dendrobates genus, just like the poison dart frogs. This was because they looked so much alike. However, in 1882, a scientist named George Albert Boulenger created a new group, the Mantella genus, for these unique frogs. He named one species, Baron's mantella (Mantella baroni), after Rev. Richard Baron, a missionary and botanist who collected many specimens in Madagascar.

Even after Mantella was created, some old books still incorrectly listed them with poison dart frogs. It took a while for everyone to agree on their proper place in the animal kingdom.

In the early 1900s, more Mantella species were found. The most famous one, the golden mantella (Mantella aurantiaca), was described in 1900 by François Mocquard. This frog is known for its bright, uniform yellow color.

What They Look Like

All Mantella frogs are quite small, usually growing to be about 0.7 to 1.2 inches (18 to 31 mm) long. Female frogs are usually a bit bigger than males.

These frogs are often compared to poison dart frogs because they both use bright colors to warn predators. This defense is called aposematism. Their colors can be green, red, orange, yellow, blue, brown, white, and black. These bright colors often mean the frog has some toxic chemicals in its skin. For example, the golden mantella looks very similar to the golden poison frog because they are both bright yellow.

Mantella frogs get these toxic chemicals from the insects they eat. They can even keep these chemicals in their skin for years, even if they are in captivity!

Most Mantella frogs also have special patterns on their bellies. Their undersides are usually black, dark gray, or brown with blue or white spots or blotches. Their throats also have blue or white markings. These belly patterns can help tell similar-looking species apart, like Baron's mantella and the Malagasy mantella.

Mantella frogs have smooth or slightly bumpy skin. They have small, angled heads with big, noticeable eyes. Their fingertips are slightly wider, similar to poison dart frogs. The climbing mantella (Mantella laevigata) has especially large finger pads, which help it climb. They have four fingers on their front legs and five toes on their back legs, and none of them have webbing.

Where They Live

This is the kind of habitat where beautiful mantella (Mantella pulchra) frogs live in Madagascar.

A bronze-colored yellow mantella (Mantella crocea) in Madagascar.

Mantella frogs live only on the island of Madagascar and its smaller islands nearby. They can be found in many different places, like rainforests, swamps, bamboo forests, and even along streams and in wet canyons.

Some Mantella species, like Ebenau's mantella (Mantella ebenaui) and brown mantella (Mantella betsileo), are very good at adapting. They have even been found living in unusual spots, like on piles of rubbish, where they eat flies!

Local Color Differences

Sometimes, Mantella frogs from different areas can have slightly different colors. For example, some yellow mantella (Mantella crocea) and black-eared mantella (Mantella milotympanum) frogs can be green, red, and yellow. This makes it hard to tell them apart just by looking at their colors.

Baron's mantella (Mantella baroni) can also look very different. Some populations are almost entirely green with black spots, instead of their usual orange and black stripes.

Species of Mantella Frogs

There are currently 16 known species of Mantella frogs, divided into five main groups. Most species can be identified by their unique color patterns. However, as mentioned, some local variations can make identification tricky.

Subgenus	Scientific Name	Common Name	Where They Live
Mantella laevigata group	Mantella laevigata Methuen & Hewitt, 1913	Climbing mantella	Madagascar
Mantella laevigata group	Mantella manery Vences, Glaw & Böhme, 1999	Marojejy mantella	Madagascar
Mantella betsileo group	Mantella betsileo Grandidier, 1872	Brown mantella	Madagascar
	Mantella ebenaui Boettger, 1880	Ebenau's mantella	Madagascar
	Mantella expectata Busse & Böhme, 1992	Blue-legged mantella	Madagascar
	Mantella viridis Pintak & Böhme, 1988	Green mantella	Madagascar
Mantella betsileo group	Mantella bernhardi Vences, Glaw, Peyrieras, Böhme & Busse, 1994	Bernhard's mantella	Madagascar
Mantella cowanii group	Mantella cowanii Boulenger, 1882	Cowan's or harlequin mantella	Madagascar
	Mantella baroni Boulenger, 1888	Baron's mantella	Madagascar
	Mantella haraldmeieri Busse, 1981	Harald Meier's mantella	Madagascar
	Mantella nigricans Guibé, 1978	Guibe's mantella	Madagascar
Mantella aurantiaca group	Mantella aurantiaca Mocquard, 1900	Golden mantella	Madagascar
	Mantella crocea Pintak & Böhme, 1990	Yellow mantella	Madagascar
	Mantella madagascariensis Grandidier, 1872	Malagasy mantella	Madagascar
	Mantella milotympanum Staniszewski, 1996	Black-eared mantella	Madagascar
	Mantella pulchra Parker, 1925	Beautiful mantella	Madagascar

Threats to Mantella Frogs

This is a "Slash and Burn" (Tavy) farming method used near a nature reserve in Madagascar.

Many Mantella species are in danger because their homes are being destroyed. This happens due to farming, cutting down trees for wood or charcoal, fires, and growing human towns. Mining also harms their habitats.

Another problem is that some Mantella frogs are collected too much for the international pet trade. Because of these threats, some species are listed as least concern, near threatened, vulnerable, endangered, or even critically endangered by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. This list helps track which animals need protection.

Scientists have also found a fungus called Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (or Bd) in some Mantella frogs. This fungus can be very dangerous for amphibians. So far, it hasn't caused big problems for frogs in Madagascar, but scientists are watching it closely.