Conservation of Mantella Frogs FEATURE | Mantella FROGS Greatest Survival Asset

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Conservation of Mantella Frogs FEATURE | Mantella FROGS Greatest Survival Asset Conservation of mantella frogs FEATURE | MANTELLA FROGS greatest survival asset. This is aposematism (which comes from the Greek for ‘warning colouration’). They even employ so-called ‘Batesian mimicry’ to assist their survival. The description is given to an animal that is brightly- coloured and pretends to copy toxic or venomous species but does not possess such deadly toxins itself. Mantellas are very similar inappearance to Only a relatively few the neotropical high-profile conservation poison dart frogs, and this is indicative projects feature in the of what is known as general media. There are The spectacular golden toad – now believed to be extinct. convergent many others, however, evolution. It there is an estimated figure of 47,978 There is, however, describes how that can be very species of fauna and flora featured on the another golden-coloured evolution pressures significant for the survival IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. While a amphibian, which, with its lead to the existence of few species such as the giant panda grab relatives, faces an uncertain what – as in this case – of species, and there is the headlines, there are countless others future on a small island on the can be widely-separated certain no uniform that most people have never heard of, other side of the world. The species, but with a common approach that can be such is the scale of the problem. Amongst beautiful and vibrant mantella frogs appearance. In this case again, these are many amphibians, whose represent a remarkable genus of the mantellas reveal a close relationship guaranteed to give results. numbers have been particularly affected Order Anura that exhibit and perform with neotropical poison dart frogs. over recent years by the spread of the almost identical behaviours as their Captive-bred golden As well as sharing the similarities in In this article, Joshua mantellas (Mantella deadly chytrid fungus disease, which is neotropical counterparts, comprising the aurantiaca) produced by colour with the family Dendrobatidae, Ralph discusses the capable of wiping out whole populations poison dart frog family, Dendrobatidae. Mitsinjo as part of a mantellas do also possess skin toxins, current conservation in a terrifyingly short space of time. project to mitigate the known simply as lipophilic alkaloids. These Just one example was the spectacular Mantellas as a group loss of Mantella habitat at are nowhere near as potent as the toxins efforts being undertaken the nearby nickel and golden toad (Incilius (Bufo) periglenes) Generally, mantella frogs are small, even cobalt mine. that can be found in dendrobatids in wild. by facilities on the ground which was restricted as far is known to though they do range in size potentially in Photo © Mitsinjo. Both groups, however, acquire them in in Madagascar, aiming to high-altitude region measuring only about size from15-40mm (0.6-1.6in), from snout similar ways, from their prey in the wild. four square kilometres (1.5sq ml) in area] to vent. Most of them will vary greatly in This gives new meaning to the phrase preserve members of the north of the city of Monteverde in Costa appearance/colouration, habitat that “you are what you eat”! It also genus Mantella. Rica. Originally described in 1966, the last requirements and potentially behaviour. provides another reson to emphasise the time that this species was seen alive in However, if it is one thing they do all have need to conserve these frogs in the wild, May 1989. in common, it is their usage of their because their skin secretions could yield new drugs, in the same way that poison dart frogs have already proved to be very Mantellas are all valuable in terms of the creation of both brightly coloured. This is the golden mantella. various new painkillers and anaesthetics. Madagascar’s ver the course of our planet’s A bleak future dramatic landscape history, countless species of fauna The facts are chilling. Our species, Homo Mada-who-ha? differs, thanks in part to the central and flora have existed and sapiens, has caused the direct or indirect Around 88 million years ago, when the mountain range, as subsequently died out, for a wide decline and eventual extinction of prehistoric southern supercontinent seen here from Ovariety of reasons. It’s a staggering hundreds of species, and in the past 500 known as Gondwana or Gondwanaland space. thought that over 98% of the species years alone, the number that have gone began to separate into pieces, leading Photo courtesy Mitsinjo. recorded on the planet no longer exist extinct is estimated to be approximately ultimately to the formation of today’s today. 869 (IUCN Red List – 2007). continents, a small chunk of land Most people are familiar with the mass Most of these have indeed fallen into extinction at the end of the Cretaceous legend, such as the Tasmanian tiger Period that heralded the end of the (Thylacinus cynocephalus – extinct 1936) dinosaurs and the rise of mammals about an Australian marsupial, the great auk 65 million years ago. But this is only one of (Pinguinus impennis – extinct 1852), which five recognised ‘mass extinctions’ that have resembled the penguins of the southern occurred on Earth over the past 540 hemisphere in its appearance, and of million years, as defined by more than half course, that ultimate symbol of extinction, of the species on the planet being wiped the dodo (Raphus cucullatus – extinct out over a narrow window of time. 1681) which was another flightless Now however, scientists are now talking species. about a sixth extinction event of this type, There are less well-known cases too, and have even coined a name for it – the involving reptiles, such as the small, Anthropocene, meaning ‘man-made”. land-dwelling crocodiles that lived on the Predications suggest that in 300 years, islands in the South Pacific, notably New approximately 75% of all large vertebrate Caledonia. These were hunted to will have disappeared from the planet, extinction less than 2000 years ago, by the influenced to a greater or lesser extent by early human settlers on the island. human activity. It is a sobering thought that today, Showing how the southern continent of Gondawanland split apart, with the northern supercontinent Laurasia also shown here, leading to the modern world. 14 | Practical Reptile Keeping OCTOBER 2014 | 15 Mantellas: species and status FEATURE | MANTELLA FROGS Madagascar represents a truly unique environment on Planet Earth. The current list of 16 species found within the genus of Mantella, along with their current categorisation on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (last assessed and This ‘green’ mantella specimen is in fact believed to be a published in 2008) is as follows: localised variant of the yellow mantella (Mantella crocea), described as “Ambohitantely” Photo © Mitsinjo. ■ Golden mantella (Mantella aurantiaca) – Critically Endangered. measuring approximately 592,800sq km Small frogs with big problems ■ Harlequin mantella (Mantella cowani) (228,900sq ml) started to move away from Like the majority of the unique fauna and – Critically Endangered. mainland Africa. Today, it forms the island flora found on Madagascar, mantellas as a ■ Black-eared mantella (Mantella milotympanum) of Madagascar, ranking as the fourth group are under severe threat. Currently, largest on Earth. there are 16 members of the genus (with – Critically Endangered. Being split partly in two by a vast potentially more locality variants/colours ■ Yellow mantella (Mantella crocea) – Endangered. mountain range which form a spine runs to be discovered) and shockingly, all of ■ along the Madagascar’s entire length has these are already listed on the IUCN Red Blue-legged mantella (Mantella expectata) resulted in the creation of a unique range List of Threatened Species, covering all five – Endangered of habitats. Eastern and northern areas are of the Threatened categories (excluding ■ Bernhard’s mantella (Mantella bernhardi) comprised mainly of lush rainforests and the two extinct categories) that are used – Endangered. swamps, while western and southern for the assessment of species. parts are a mixture of arid woodland and ■ Green mantella (Mantella viridis) – Endangered. Habitat loss forests, with parched desert areas. ■ Beautiful mantella (Mantella pulchra) – Vulnerable The highly unusual combination of Across most of the eastern coast of AD Page long-standing island isolation and a varied Madagascar, a technique of agriculture ■ Malagasy painted mantella (Mantella landscape has created some of has been in practice for many, madagascariensis) – Vulnerable the most unusual and many years causing a ■ distinctive wildlife on A meeting in October 2012 drastic decline in the Marojejy mantella (Mantella manery) – Vulnerable the planet. In total, in the city of Moramanga, about natural habitat of ■ the national conservation strategy Harald Meier’s mantella (Mantella haraldmeieri) 90% of the species for the golden mantella. mantellas. This – Vulnerable. occurring there Photo © Mitsinjo. method is exist nowhere known as “tavy” ■ Climbing mantella (Mantella laevigata) else in the or more – Near Threatened world, and commonly as ■ Brown leaf mantella (Mantella betsileo) there are slash-and- more than burn – Least Concern. 500 species of cultivation. It ■ Baron’s painted mantella (Mantella baroni) amphibian, involves trees, – Least Concern. 99% of which smaller brush are also and bushes ■ Bronze mantella (Mantella ebenaui) – Least Concern. endemic. Looked being cut down ■ Guibe’s mantella (Mantella nigricans) at in these terms, it is and left to dry out – Least Concern. clear why Madagascar over the course of the is such a biological hotspot winter period when The threats that these small anurans face are certainly for zoologists and also offers so precipitation is low, and then far from small. Potentially each and every one of them much potential for hobbyist keepers eventually being burnt just before the first wanting to study and breed species, rains arrive. could bring an end to the future of any of the species discovering more about them in the 137819309 Slash and burn has within their wild habitat.
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