Common Name: Green Mantella, Lime Mantella, and Green Golden Frog
Scientific Name: Mantella viridis
Family: Mantellidae
Location: Madagascar
Max Size: Males – 1 inch (25 mm) | females – 1.2 inch (30 mm)
The Green Mantella lives along streams in the grass lands of northern Madagascar. All members of the genus Mantella are found only in Madagascar. They’re bright colors warn predators that they are poisonous. This allows them to be active during the day (diurnal). The frogs feeds on insects and other invertebrates that cross its path. It’s the largest frog from the genus Mantella and it barely reaches an inch long!
The breeding season for the frog follows the start of the rainy season. Like most of the common frogs, they lay eggs that eventually hatch into tadpoles. The males of the species call out to attract the females. The female lays the eggs in between rocks and in trunks of dead trees and eventually the heavy rains wash them into a body of water. The female lays around 115 eggs.
The Green Mantella can be found in the pet trade due to their beautiful colors and relative easy of taking care of. If you were looking to buy one, make sure to read my article Preparing for a Pet Frog or Toad. Also, make sure to buy a captive bred frog from a reputable breeder. The mantellas are exploited in the wet pet trade.
Green Mantella Conservation
The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List categorizes the Green Mantella as Endangered. They are facing extinction because of habitat destruction from forest fires, logging of forests where they live, and overgrazing by livestock. The species suffered heavily from over-harvesting of them for the pet trade but captive breeding has slowed down the harvesting.
