Mantella
3 species
Mantella are a prominent genus of aposematic frogs in the family Mantellidae, endemic to the island of Madagascar. The members of the genus are diurnal and terrestrial in behaviour, exhibiting bright colouration or cryptic markings which are species specific.
Mantella are endemic to the island of Madagascar and its smaller coastal islands ("Nosy" in Malagasy). They inhabit a wide variety of different habitat types including primary rainforests, secondary rainforests, swamps, bamboo forests, semi-arid streambeds, slow moving forest streams, seasonal streams, montane grassland savannah and in wet canyons.
However, some members of the genus such as Ebenau's mantella (Mantella ebenaui), brown mantella (Mantella betsileo) and Cowan's mantella (Mantella cowanii) are highly adaptable and have been recorded being found in unusual places. Upon the island of Nosy Boraha (Sainte Marie), specimens of Mantella ebenaui have been found living upon dumps of rubbish feeding upon flies. The same has been apparently recorded in the western parts of Madagascar with specimens of Mantella betsileo inhabiting rubbish piles behind human living accommodations.
Mantella are a prominent genus of aposematic frogs in the family Mantellidae, endemic to the island of Madagascar. The members of the genus are diurnal and terrestrial in behaviour, exhibiting bright colouration or cryptic markings which are species specific.
Mantella are endemic to the island of Madagascar and its smaller coastal islands ("Nosy" in Malagasy). They inhabit a wide variety of different habitat types including primary rainforests, secondary rainforests, swamps, bamboo forests, semi-arid streambeds, slow moving forest streams, seasonal streams, montane grassland savannah and in wet canyons.
However, some members of the genus such as Ebenau's mantella (Mantella ebenaui), brown mantella (Mantella betsileo) and Cowan's mantella (Mantella cowanii) are highly adaptable and have been recorded being found in unusual places. Upon the island of Nosy Boraha (Sainte Marie), specimens of Mantella ebenaui have been found living upon dumps of rubbish feeding upon flies. The same has been apparently recorded in the western parts of Madagascar with specimens of Mantella betsileo inhabiting rubbish piles behind human living accommodations.
