Reptiles and amphibians

Golden Mantella

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Identity card

Golden Mantella

Scientific name:: Mantella aurantiaca

Family:: Mantellidae

Class:: Amphibia

Phylum:: Chordata

Year of description:: Mocquard, 1900

IUCN Status:: Endangered

CITES-status:: Appendix II

Distribution:: Endemic species covering about 10 km² in the east of Madagascar.

Habitat:: It lives in forests and swamps in humid tropical environments at an altitude of just over 900 metres.

Size:: Between 20 and 26 mm

Diet:: Insectivore

In the natural environment, the toxicity of frogs is linked to their diet.

Their bright colours are the cause of their decline: they have been excessively collected and are now in danger of extinction.They are now bred in captivity by many zoos, institutions and private individuals.

The mantellas exhibited at NAUSICAA come from European farms, mainly the one at the Citadelle aquarium in Besançon.

did you know?

Where is the animal to be found?

The golden mantella frog lives in forests and swamps in tropical humid environments at an altitude of just over 900 metres. It is a species endemic to the island of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean.

How can it be recognised?

The coloured skin of golden mantellas (yellow, orange or red), serves as a signal to their potential predators: their skin is toxic. They have been warned!

It measures between 20 and 26 mm; males are usually smaller than females. It is an insectivore and feeds, for example, on ants, termites, springtails and locust nymphs.

What is distinctive about it?

A golden mantella reaches maturity after one year. It can lay between 20 and 60 eggs that are then fertilised by one or more males. The eggs are laid out of the water on decaying leaves and hatch 14 days later. They will become small frogs after 70 days of growth.

Threat and protective measure

EN-endangered and declining. It is a protected species if it lives in a protected area. Its trade is regulated (CITES) and even suspended in Madagascar.