Climbing mantella

Mantella laevigata

Mantella laevigata is a species in the genus Madagascar stained frogs ( Mantella ), which is endemic to Madagascar.

Description

Mantella laevigata is one with a body length of 22-29 mm has a medium-sized members of its genus. The frog is built slim; the ends of his toes and fingertips are significantly increased. The animals are dorsally uniformly colored lemon yellow from the tip of the snout to the posterior central spine, the rest of the body has a black base color. The yellow color has surface on the back of a clear boundary to the black edges and to the side of the head. The limbs are deep black, often with blue spotting on the hands and fingertips. The stained frog has no red, orange or yellow pattern on its hind legs; as he has no light stripes above the muzzle sides. However, some specimens have single yellow dots on under the eyes. The underside and legs are black in color and bear small, round, bluish or bluish gray dots. The throat is completely dyed usually black.

Occurrence of life

The species is endemic to the northeastern coastal region of Madagascar, as well as on the Masoala Peninsula and the offshore island of Nosy Mangabe. The animals inhabit the rainforest soil and feed on preferably from ants and termites.

Reproduction and individual development

Mating calls of the males - series of short double-click sounds - are exclusively expressed during the day. The frogs climb trees for egg laying up to almost four meters in height. The female lays from one to two inches above the water surface of water-filled tree holes or knots of bamboo its individual, rather large, white eggs. Two days later, the embryo can be seen. The hatching tadpoles eventually fall into the water holes. Within these water bodies there is only a single larva or two in various stages of development. The tadpoles are omnivores, but are preferably supplied by the mother with unfertilized Nähreiern.

Links ( sources)

• Style portrait at www.amphibiaweb.org ( Engl )
• Mantella laevigata in the Red List of Threatened Species IUCN 2004 Posted by: .. Franco Andreone, Frank Glaw, 2004 Accessed 12 March 2012

• Anura
• Anura