Blue-legged mantella  (Mantella expectata)

The blue-legged mantella is classified as Endangered (EN) on the IUCN Red List (1) and is listed on Appendix II of CITES (4).

With a greenish-yellow back contrasting with dark blue hind legs and black sides, the blue-legged mantella is a popular frog in the pet trade. Males are a little smaller than females and have an obvious horseshoe-shaped blue spot on the lower throat. Both sexes have a light stripe along the upper lip. Colours can vary between individuals, but the more highly contrasting individuals are most likely to be collected for the pet trade (1).

Endemic to Madagascar, the blue-legged mantella is found in the south-western region of the island, Isalo, at elevations of over 800 m above sea level (1).

Inhabits small, temporary streams and small pools, as well as open canyons and rocks near water. The tadpoles and young adults are found in temporary pools (3).

Active during the first hours after dawn, the blue-legged mantella is most easily observed from October to December during the rainfalls that stimulate egg-laying. Males call continuously to attract females, who then emerge from their refuges to lay two to six clutches of over 35 eggs each (2) (3).

Several thousand blue-legged mantellas are thought to be collected every year from some regions in the Isalo Massif(3). Aside from over-collection, the extremely small range of these critically endangered frogs is threatened with habitat loss as a result of grazing, fires and sapphire mining operations (1).

Listing on Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species provides the blue-legged mantella with some protection. It requires that an export licence is obtained for any trade in this species. A trade quota to prevent over-exploitation of this frog is crucial to its survival, as even the protection offered by the Isalo National Park has not prevented the capture of the blue-legged mantella (1). Anyhow, recent research showed that the species is still locally abundant (5).

View information on this species at the UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre.

For further information on this species see:

• AmphibiaWeb:
  http://amphibiaweb.org/cgi-bin/amphib_query?query_src=aw_lists_alpha_&where-genus=Mantella&where-species=expectata