Tiny mantella frogs are among the most brightly coloured and spectacular of all frogs. They come in many colours- inky black with brilliant splotches of orange, bronze, yellow, blue, or emerald green. By having the bright colours of the more toxic species, the frogs are avoided by predators. Mantellas secrete enough toxins to make a predator sick or, at the very least, they can make themselves taste quite bad!
Must frogs have webbed feet to help them swim, but not mantellas! Because they spend their lives crawling around on land or in leaves instead of swimming, there is no need for webbed toes. They also have short legs designed more for climbing than for long hops.
Mantellas are found only on Madagascar, off the eastern coast of Africa. Like all amphibians, mantellas have skin that soaks up water. If something happens to change the water, amphibians are one of the first species to feel it. Mantellas are important to Madagascar because their health can help scientists determine the health of Madagascar’s rain forests, air, and water-ways.