The Mantellidae are a

family Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...

of the order Anura. These frogs are

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found else ...

to the islands of

Madagascar Madagascar (; mg, Madagasikara, ), officially the Republic of Madagascar ( mg, Repoblikan'i Madagasikara, links=no, ; french: République de Madagascar), is an island country in the Indian Ocean, approximately off the coast of East Africa ...

and

Mayotte Mayotte (; french: Mayotte, ; Shimaore: ''Maore'', ; Kibushi: ''Maori'', ), officially the Department of Mayotte (french: Département de Mayotte), is an overseas department and region and single territorial collectivity of France. It is loca ...

Systematics

The family Mantellidae is composed of three extremely ecologically diverse groups of frogs, divided into three subfamilies: the Mantellinae Laurent, 1946 are typically terrestrial or semi-aquatic frogs; the Laliostominae Vences & Glaw, 2001 are terrestrial, typically fairly large-sized frogs; and the Boophinae Vences & Glaw, 2001 are arboreal tree frogs. Apart from the genera assigned to the three subfamilies, the placement of '' Tsingymantis'' Glaw, Hoegg & Vences, 2006 is still uncertain. As of 22 September 2022, 237 species are recognized in this family.

DNA barcoding DNA barcoding is a method of species identification using a short section of DNA from a specific gene or genes. The premise of DNA barcoding is that by comparison with a reference library of such DNA sections (also called " sequences"), an indi ...

research has shown however that more than 100 distinct genetic lineages remain taxonomically undescribed.

Evolution and island biogeography

The Mantellidae are Madagascar's most diverse frog family. It has been shown that there is a negative correlation between body size and species diversity in this family, which is probably related to the lower dispersal potential of smaller animals. This family is estimated to have colonized the island of Madagascar 76–87 million years ago. They are phylogenetically nested within Asian frogs, and therefore probably represent a dispersal event from Asia. Two undescribed species of mantellid frogs are currently resident on the island of

, off Madagascar's west coast. These species belong to two genera that are otherwise exclusively endemic to Madagascar.

Reproduction

Reproductive modes in the Mantellidae are highly varied. Eggs can be laid in or out of water, on the ground or on leaves, depending on genus and species. '' Guibemantis'' frogs of the subgenus '' Pandanusicola'' lay their eggs either in phytotelms or over slow-flowing water. Some species of '' Gephyromantis'' have

direct development Marine larval ecology is the study of the factors influencing dispersing larvae, which many marine invertebrates and fishes have. Marine animals with a larva typically release many larvae into the water column, where the larvae develop before met ...

nidicolous In biology, nidifugous ( , ) organisms are those that leave the nest shortly after hatching or birth. The term is derived from Latin ''nidus'' for "nest" and ''fugere'', meaning "to flee". The terminology is most often used to describe birds and w ...

tadpoles. Members of the subfamilies Boophinae and Laliostominae have

amplexus Amplexus (Latin "embrace") is a type of mating behavior exhibited by some externally fertilizing species (chiefly amphibians and horseshoe crabs) in which a male grasps a female with his front legs as part of the mating process, and at the same ...

, but mantelline frogs do not. Parental care is known from a few species (e.g. '' Mantidactylus argenteus''). Sexual size dimorphism is present in most species, with females being larger than males, but there are exceptions (e.g. '' Boophis albilabris''), where males are larger than females, possibly as a result of males fighting for access to females.

In captivity

Some members of this family are popular in the

exotic pet An exotic pet is a pet which is relatively rare or unusual to keep, or is generally thought of as a wild species rather than as a domesticated pet. The definition varies by culture, location, and over time—as animals become firmly enough est ...

trade for their bright colors (e.g. '' Mantella'' and '' Boophis'').

References

External links

Description of family and list of genera and species

Mantellidae taxonomy
{{Taxonbar, from=Q56054 Taxa named by Raymond Laurent Amphibian families