Mantella
Mantella | |
---|---|
Golden mantella (Mantella aurantiaca) from the Ramsar Menalamba site, Torotorofotsy Wetlands Reserve. | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Amphibia |
Order: | Anura |
Family: | Mantellidae |
Subfamily: | Mantellinae |
Genus: | Mantella Boulenger, 1882 |
Type species | |
Dendrobates betsileo
, 1872 | |
Diversity | |
16 species |
Mantella (also known as golden frogs or Malagasy poison frogs) are a prominent genus of aposematic frogs in the family Mantellidae, endemic to the island of Madagascar.[1] Members of Mantella are diurnal and terrestrial, with bright aposematic coloration or cryptic markings.
Natural history
Mantella are an example of
This placement was heavily debated until 1882, when
The genus remained within Dendrobatidae until the late 19th century. The Royal Natural History (1893) by Richard Lydekker included the genus Mantella as one of two genera representing Dendrobatidae, saying that they could be "distinguished by the tip of the tongue being notched; while in Dendrobates of Tropical America the tongue is entire."[2]
During the first quarter of the 20th century, another three species of Mantella were described, including the
Description
Species of this genus are small, varying in length between 18–31 millimetres (0.71–1.22 in).[4] Most Mantella species are sexually dimorphic in size, with females being larger than males. Mantella vary in shape from streamlined to plump/rounded bodies, with skin that is either smooth or granular. They have small, angular heads, with large eyes that are either entirely dark or have lighter coloration around the edge of the iris. Mantella have a very distinct tympanum. The tips or discs of the fingers are slightly enlarged, though those of the climbing mantella (Mantella laevigata) are distinctly larger than in other members of the genus. They have four fingers on each forelimb and five on each hindlimb; some species have webbed digits, while others do not. The tibiotarsal articulation is roughly between the shoulder and the nostrils.
Many species of Mantella are similar to the
Mantella show a variety in alkaloid profiles between individual frogs of the Ranomafana region. These same alkaloids have been found to be sequestered by certain insects. It has also been observed that Mantella retain alkaloids in their skin for years in captivity. This, combined with analyses of stomach contents and diet, suggests that members of Mantella obtain at least some of their alkaloids from arthropod prey.[5]
Distribution
Mantella are endemic to the island of Madagascar and its smaller coastal islands ("Nosy" in
Some members of the genus such as
Locality variations
There are several populations of Mantella species that exhibit unusual coloration, some of which are intermediates between species living in
Populations of
Malagasy mantella (Mantella madagascariensis), a species similar in appearance to M. baroni, is also notably variable among different localities. Niagarakely is one such locality within the Anosibe An'ala District of the Alaotra-Mangoro Region. Here, M. madagascariensis exhibit highly broken yellow/green and mottled black dorsal coloration.
Species
There are currently 16 species of Mantella, with five recognized species groups.[1][4] Most species are easily identifiable by their color patterns, although there are a number of locality variations with an uncertain taxonomic status.[4]
Species group | Image | Binomial (scientific name) | Common name | IUCN conservation status | Distribution |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Mantella laevigata group | Mantella laevigata Methuen & Hewitt, 1913
|
Climbing mantella | Least Concern | northeastern Madagascar | |
Mantella manery Vences, Glaw & Böhme, 1999
|
Marojejy mantella | Vulnerable | northern Madagascar | ||
Mantella betsileo group | Mantella betsileo Grandidier, 1872
|
Brown mantella | Least Concern | western & central Madagascar | |
Mantella ebenaui Boettger, 1880 | Ebenau's mantella | Least Concern | northeastern Madagascar | ||
Mantella expectata Busse & Böhme, 1992
|
Blue-legged mantella | Endangered | southwestern Madagascar | ||
Mantella viridis Pintak & Böhme, 1988
|
Green mantella | Endangered | northern Madagascar | ||
Mantella bernhardi group | Mantella bernhardi Vences, Glaw, Peyrieras, Böhme & Busse, 1994
|
Bernhard's mantella | Vulnerable | southeastern Madagascar | |
Mantella cowanii group | Mantella cowanii Boulenger, 1882
|
Cowan's or harlequin mantella | Endangered | central Madagascar | |
Mantella baroni Boulenger, 1888 | Baron's mantella | Least Concern | central Madagascar | ||
Mantella haraldmeieri Busse, 1981
|
Harald Meier's mantella | Endangered | southern Madagascar | ||
Mantella nigricans Guibé, 1978
|
Guibe's mantella | Least Concern | northeastern Madagascar | ||
Mantella aurantiaca group | Mantella aurantiaca Mocquard, 1900
|
Golden mantella | Endangered | central Madagascar | |
Mantella crocea Pintak & Böhme, 1990
|
Yellow mantella | Vulnerable | central Madagascar | ||
Mantella madagascariensis Grandidier, 1872
|
Malagasy mantella | Vulnerable | central Madagascar | ||
Mantella milotympanum Staniszewski, 1996
|
Black-eared mantella | Critically Endangered | eastern Madagascar | ||
Mantella pulchra Parker, 1925
|
Beautiful mantella | Near Threatened | eastern Madagascar |
Threats
Several species in the genus are threatened because of
Species in this genus have tested positive for Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd). As of yet, there have been no negative effects observed within amphibian populations in Madagascar, suggesting that the Bd strain has a low virulence level but should be closely monitored.[6]
Gallery
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Mantella aurantiaca
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Mantella baroni
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Mantella bernhardi
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Mantella cowanii
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Mantella expectata
References
- ^ a b Frost, Darrel R. (2017). "Mantella Boulenger, 1882". Amphibian Species of the World: an Online Reference. Version 6.0. American Museum of Natural History. Retrieved 6 January 2018.
- ^ Lydekker, Richard (1893). The Royal Natural History Vol. V - Reptiles, Amphibians and Fishes. Frederick Warne & Co. p. 271.
- ^ Mocquard, Francois (1909). "Synopsis des familles, genres et espèces des reptiles écailleux et des batraciens de Madagascar (1909)". Masson: 65–67.
- ^ ISBN 978-3-929449-03-7.)
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link - S2CID 12171450.
- ^ a b c "The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species". The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2017.
- ISBN 978-3930612543.
- ^ Vences, Miguel; Glaw, Frank; Mausfeld, Patrick; Böhme, Wolfgang (October 1998). "Comparative osteology of Malagasy poison frogs of the genus Mantella" (PDF). Zoological Bulletin. 48: 206.
External links
- Clark, Valerie C.; Raxworthy, Christopher J.; Rakotomalala, Valérie; Sierwald, Petra; Fisher, Brian L. (16 August 2005). "Convergent evolution of chemical defense in poison frogs and arthropod prey between Madagascar and the Neotropics". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 102 (33): 11617–11622. PMID 16087888.
- AmphibiaWeb: Information on amphibian biology and conservation. [web application]. 2008. Berkeley, California: Mantella. AmphibiaWeb, available at http://amphibiaweb.org/. (Accessed: June 8, 2008).
- eol - Encyclopedia of Life taxon Mantella at http://www.eol.org.
- ITIS - Integrated Taxonomic Information System on-line database Taxon Mantella at https://web.archive.org/web/20160606043808/http://www.itis.gov/index.html. (Accessed: June 8, 2008).
- GBIF - Global Biodiversity Information Facility Taxon Mantella at https://web.archive.org/web/20080501142231/http://data.gbif.org/welcome.htm
- Mantella Conservation
- Poison Frogs of Madagascar: Mantella
- Vences, M.; Glaw, F.; Böhme, W. (1999). "A review of the genus Mantella (Anura, Ranidae, Mantellinae): taxonomy, distribution and conservation of Malagasy poison frogs" (PDF). Alytes. 17 (1–2): 3–72.