Conservation of 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 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 , 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 , 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 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 , 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 . 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 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” ■ (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 () amphibian, involves trees, – Least Concern. 99% of which smaller brush are also and bushes ■ Bronze mantella () – 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. These risk factors extend over a process. destroyed large areas of unique habitat on wide range of different areas, and include the following: However, the island is facing severe Madagascar. ■ problems caused by human activity, set 96107414 Burnt ground only remains Habitat loss due to logging. against the backdrop of a growing fertile for a short period. ■ Habitat loss due to mining. population. It is believed, that since the This is mainly to allow the cultivation of ■ Habitat loss due to agriculture. first people settled on Madagascar around rice or corn crops on this land, and after 1500 years ago, natural habitats there only a few years of growing the crops, the ■ Population fragmentation. have declined by 90% or more, This has people will move on and seek another ■ Pollution. left what are little more than condensed area to cultivate. The previous area is thus pockets of natural vegetation in the form abandoned, with much of the goodness ■ Human Population expansion. of National Parks scattered throughout having been taken out of the soil by this ■ Globally spread infectious diseases. the island. What is even more concerning stage. is that 40% of the above degree of habitat As a result of the incredible damage ■ Illegal smuggling for sale as pets. loss has occurred during the past 60 years. that this method of agriculture can cause

16 | Practical Reptile Keeping SEPTEMBER 2014 | 17 Many private keepers try to recreate the habitats of particular species from the wild, even using Malagasy flora such as the rare 1 Madagascan lemon orchid (Aerangis citrata). Photo © 2014 Joshua Ralph. FEATURE | mantella FROGS to the landscape, such as soil erosion and landslips, not to mention the destruction of a vast amount of vegetation, this practice was outlawed. The thinking 3 behind this policy was to slow the decline of the loss of within these regions. However this method is still practiced by local people to this day, because of economic necessity, cultural traditions, and a lack of understanding of long-term ecological consequences. A primary aim for a majority of conservation organisations working in Madagascar is to promote more sustainable agricultural methods, and thereby safeguard the remaining areas of primary habitat. 2 Yet tavy is not the only cause of habitat ‡ 1:Local community conservation of Mangabe’s forests from destruction, with mining members patrolling a April 2012 to March 2013. Their work golden mantella breeding for gold or nickel and fragmented populations. Mantella site for signs of habitat included regular monitoring of the golden logging of hardwoods Already though, the destruction. 2: Mitsinjo mantella breeding areas, the reporting having also definitely most iconic species within species in the staff members trying to illegal activities to the relevant authorities played a major role in the the genus has now been fill in a hole dug by gold and even restoring areas degraded both miners at a golden disappearance of major fully established within Andasibe area mantella breeding site by slash-and-burn agriculture and gold biotopes. The result in some vivarium circles, both with near Andasibe. 3: Logging mining. cases has been to severely private and zoological collections. ■ Golden mantella (Mantella for hardwoods at various fragment certain mantella This is of course is the golden golden mantella habitats Conclusion aurantiaca) – (Mocquard, 1900) continues to threaten the populations. mantella (Mantella aurantiaca). ■ Baron’s painted mantella survival of this species in Much work is still needed to prevent these A prime example of such is the Irrespective of its high categorisation on the wild. stunning amphibians from becoming  Golden mantella eggs amazing but unusual locality variations of the IUCN Red List, it does extremely well (Mantella baroni) – (Boulenger, Photo © Mitsinjo. extinct in the wild and even possibly, in deposited in vivarium the yellow mantella (Mantella crocea). It surroundings. and is readily bred. However, wild-caught 1888) captivity. The conservation of this genus exhibits a completely different colouration golden mantellas along with most of the ■ Yellow mantella (Mantella crocea) requires a coordinated effort by zoological from its common name, that is in fact a genus, continue to be legally exported – (Pintak & Böhme, 1990) organisations and private breeders, who bright form of green. This colouration can from the island for the pet trade, despite ■ Malagasy painted mantella can retain larger numbers in their be found at Ambohitantely Reserve, in the the numbers now being reared overseas. collections. As mantellas become more eastern-central region of the island and However, the same level of breeding (Mantella madagascariensis) – potential risks to the captive populations that affect all wildlife within the Nature readily bred, so the future may be also at the Zahamena National Park. This is success has not been achieved with the (Grandidier, 1872) resident there. Reserve. somewhat brighter for these little jewels. in a north-easterly direction from vast majority of the genus, with some ■ Black-eared mantella (Mantella Support for the project has been Raising awareness for these small and It is to be hoped that private hobbyists Ambohitantely, with these localities being species being extremely hard to find in milotympanum) – (Staniszewski, provided by numerous zoological fascinating frogs has even involved will do everything they can to make sure roughly 188km (116ml) apart, across a collections. This in turn has resulted in 1996) institutions and conservation mascots and festivals dedicated to them. that species within this genus are not only nearly completely deforested landscape. continued demand for wild-caught ■ organisations, and is coordinated in an Last year, on the 25th of May, the kept, purchased and bred responsibly This goes to show that the habitat loss is specimens, many of which will not end up Beautiful mantella (Mantella effort with the Malagasy Government and non-governmental organisation within vivarium surroundings, but also far from small, with locality populations in the hands of experienced keepers, thus pulchra) – (Parker, 1925) the IUCN Amphibian Specialist Group. Madagasikara Voakajy held the Mangabe that more awareness is generated about already being drastically fragmented from reducing the likelihood that they will Conservation, however, does not Festival to raise awareness about the mantellas, thereby helping to safeguard one other. breed successfully. Exports are managed necessarily just have to be about breeding golden mantella (Mantella aurantiaca) at their futures. After all, it would be under official CITES quotas set for each is situated in and around the small village . It can also involve raising the protected site of Ranomena- unforgiveable to lose both the Illegal smuggling and species, based on the available population of Andasibe, located within eastern- awareness and even, in some cases, Sahasarotra. It has proved to be a environment where these frogs evolved the pet trade data, and this takes no account of the central Madagascar. It is home to a vast providing education. The Mitsinjo facility is successful way of trying to get the local over the course of millions of years and For decades, bright and colourful animals numbers being reared in vivarium number of different anurans, with developing a public environmental communities around the reserve to the frogs themselves. ✥ have both amazed and intrigued surroundings. approximately 100 species being found outreach centre, a process that has been engage and contribute towards both the members of the public, inspiring them to within a 30km (19ml) radius of the town, four years in the making, for this purpose. habitats and the species that dwell in keep, study and breed such species in Conservation efforts and making it a definite contendor for the title It will enable the local community to learn them. vivarium surroundings. Things are no Association Mitsinjo of world’s frog capital! Six of these species more about the work being carried out at In this instance, the community different as mantellas are concerned. In Madagascar, some organisations are are part of the Mantella genus. the facility, the species found within the organisations involved were rewarded for Find out more Annually, wild caught specimens have ˆ There are eight already well established, executing As part of the Mitsinjo Amphibian Andasibe Reserves and also, the threats the efforts they carried out towards the been exported from Madagascar in large categories that threatened projects with already incredible results for Conservation Programme and Andasibe If you are interested in keeping species can be placed in, numbers either legally in the past or which range from extinct the species in question. One of these National Park, a Breeding Centre was mantellas and would like to discover illegally. This, for some species, has caused to least concern. organisations is Association Mitsinjo, a established in April 2011. Its purpose is to more about them and their severe pressures upon wild and already Photo © Mitsinjo. community-run conservation project that allow the captive breeding of certain species, as a means of safeguarding conservation, please join the against extinction and also to record Facebook group entitled the information relevant to both behaviour “Mantella Conservation Project”, and husbandry research. “Madagasikara Voakajy” and also The facility itself is incredibly impressive, “Association Mitsinjo”. You can also measuring 185sq m (220sq yd) and  Most mantella species containing within it completely bio-secure exhibit some spectacular find out about a wide range of colouration, just like this amphibian species at the following rooms for various frog species, live food blue-legged mantella culturing, research and even quarantine (Mantella expectata). website www.sahonagasy.org. and isolation facilities, so as to prevent any © 2014 Joshua Ralph.

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