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| SCIENTIFIC
CLASSIFICATION |
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| COMMON
NAME: |
Mantella
frog, living jewel |
| KINGDOM: |
Animalia |
| PHYLUM: |
Chordata |
| CLASS: |
Amphibia |
| ORDER: |
Anura |
| FAMILY: |
Mantellidae |
| GENUS
SPECIES: |
Mantella
spp. (16 species) |
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| DESCRIPTION: |
Mantella
frogs are tiny tree frogs and occur in color combinations
of dark black and iridescent blues, oranges, yellows,
and greens. |
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| WEIGHT: |
Up
to 56 g (2 oz.) |
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| DIET: |
Diurnal
predators, these frogs prey mainly on insects and
often prey upon ants and termites |
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| INCUBATION: |
The egg-laying site is normally a moist and enclosed
location like depressions in sponge or moss. Several
males fertilize eggs either immediately following
deposition or up to 2 days after. Incubation is
2-6 days. |
| CLUTCH
SIZE |
The
number of eggs laid varies with species and maturity
of the female. |
| LARVAL
DURATION |
Tadpoles
metamorphose after 45-360 days, depending on the
species. |
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| SEXUAL
MATURITY: |
12-15
months |
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| HABITAT: |
Ground-dwellers
living in the forests |
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| POPULATION: |
GLOBAL |
No
data |
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| STATUS: |
IUCN |
Not
listed |
| CITES |
Appendix
II |
| USFWS |
Not
listed |
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| 1. |
Mantella
frogs are among the most brightly colored and showy
of all frogs. These colors may act as a warning
to predators, which is termed aposomatic coloration. |
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| 2. |
Most Mantellas have the same toxins found in the
South American poison dart frogs. In fact, when
explorers first saw mantella frogs they thought
they were South American poison dart frogs, but
they are only distant relatives. |
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| 3. |
Several species of Mantella frogs are non-poisonous,
but exhibit protective mimicry. By exhibiting the
bright colors of the toxic species, they are avoided
by predators. |
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| 4. |
Since
they often prey on ants and termites, mantella frogs
are diurnal. |
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| 5. |
In
general, frogs have smooth skin while toads have
textured skin. |
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| 6. |
A
group of frogs is called an 'army'; a group of toads
is called a 'knot'. |
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| 7. |
Frogs
with long tongues go by the "see it, snap at
it" technique of feeding. Toads on the other
hand have short tongues and have to snap at their
food using their mouth. |
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| 8. |
When
a frog swallows a meal, its bulgy eyeballs close
and sink in to its head. The eyeballs apply pressure
and actually push a frog's meal down its throat. |
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Like
all amphibians, Mantella frogs have porous skin
and respond quickly to changes in the environment.
The health of their populations can be an indicator
of the health of the environment.
Major
threats include: habitat loss, resource exploitation,
environmental contaminants, disease and parasitism,
introduced species, and global climate change.
11
of the species are classified either commercially
threatened, rare, or vulnerable. Only 1 species
is not considered threatened. Some species are
endemic to very small areas, making them sensitive
to over-collection.
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| Conant,
Roger, and J.T. Collins. Peterson Field Guides:
Reptiles and Amphibians. Boston: Houghton Mifflin
Co., 1958. |
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Flank, Lenny Jr. Herp Help. New York: Howell
Book House, 1998. |
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Mattison, Chris. Frogs and Toads of the World.
New York: Fact On File Publications, 1987.
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CITES
Watch. http://www.hsus.org/channel/citeswatch/an_mantella.html
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