The striking colouring of the Malagasy painted mantella serves as a warning signal to predators, alerting them to the frog’s toxicity. However, it is also thought that the striking colouring plays an important role in mate selection, with bright colours being preferred.
The Malagasy painted mantella exhibits an unusual form of mating embrace (amplexus), in which the male places the underside of his thighs on the female’s head. This allows the sperm to travel along the female’s back to the laid eggs.
This Malagasy painted mantella is often confused with Mantella baroni and Mantella pulchra, two other species in the Mantellidae family.
Taxonomy
Mantellidae, genus Mantella (16 species)
Habitat
subtropical rainforests of eastern Madagascar, along rivers and streams
Behaviour and ecology
diurnal ground-dweller
Diet
small insects such as ants and other invertebrates