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AmphibianTerrestrialIntermediate
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Ebenau's Mantella
Mantella ebenaui
A copper-brown Malagasy frog with black flanks and a blue-speckled belly. Shy and hardy, it thrives in well-planted terrariums with moderate temperatures.
Class:Amphibia
Order:Anura
Family:Mantellidae
Subfamily:Mantellinae
Genus:Mantella
Species:Mantella ebenaui
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Environment
Terrestrial
Humidity
70 - 80 %
Day temperature
24 - 26 °C
Night temperature
20 °C
Ambient temperature
24 - 26 °C
Minimum enclosure
>= 45 L
UVB
Low
Species description
Geographical Origin and Habitat: Endemic to the seasonal dry deciduous forests and moist lowlands of northern and northwestern Madagascar, including Nosy Be. They inhabit the leaf litter of the forest floor, retreating to damp crevices during the dry season.
Taxonomy and Genetics: Belonging to the family Mantellidae. Morphologically very similar to Mantella betsileo, but genetically distinct and isolated in northern Madagascar.
Behavior and Habits: Diurnal and terrestrial. They are highly active yet shy, preferring to remain hidden under dried leaves. During the breeding season, males call with short, metallic clicks to attract females.
Morphology: A very small frog, reaching 2.0–2.5 cm in adult length. Females are larger and more round-bodied. Males are smaller, more slender, and have a dark throat area where the vocal sac is located.
Care, breeding and tankmates
Terrarium Setup: A horizontal forest terrarium (minimum 60x45x45 cm) is recommended. Provide a bioactive substrate covered with a thick layer of dry leaf litter and cork bark pieces. Include a shallow, clean water dish.
Lighting and Heating: Maintain daytime temperatures at 24–26°C, dropping to 20°C at night. Avoid temperatures above 28°C. Low-level UVB (5%) is highly recommended to prevent metabolic bone disease.
Humidity and Hydration: Require relative humidity of 70–80%. Spray the terrarium daily with clean, dechlorinated water. Good ventilation is necessary to prevent skin pathogens.
Feeding and Supplementation: Strictly insectivorous. Feed small insects such as fruit flies, springtails, and micro-crickets. Dust food with calcium and vitamins containing D3 three times a week.
Compatibility: Highly peaceful and gregarious. Best kept in small groups of their own species. Do not house with larger, predatory species.
Health and Common Diseases: Vulnerable to heat exhaustion and bacterial infections from waterlogged substrate. Handle only when strictly necessary, using wet, clean gloves.
Geographic Origin and Distribution
Endemic to the seasonal dry deciduous forests and moist lowlands of northern and northwestern Madagascar, including Nosy Be. They inhabit the leaf litter of the forest floor, retreating to damp crevices during the dry season.
Origin
Extra-Amazon South AmericaAfrica and MadagascarEurope, Mediterranean, and West Asia
Amphibian profile
- Diet
- No verified data available
- Life expectancy
- No verified data available
- Adult size
- 2.6 cm
- Lifestyle/Microhabitat
- No verified data available
- Activity cycle
- No verified data available
- Sociality
- No verified data available
- Reproduction
- No verified data available
- Toxicity
- No verified data available
- Life stage
- No verified data available
- Handling tolerance
- No verified data available
- Brumation
- No verified data available
- Molting
- No verified data available
The catalog's scalar value is 2.6 cm. The AmphiBIO v1 source reports a maximum adult measurement of 2.6 cm for this species, recorded as snout–vent length (SVL). These figures are not interchangeable: the first is the profile's editorial reference, whereas the second is a published maximum under a specific measurement convention; differences among sources can reflect sex, population, life stage and measuring method.
Image gallery
Licensed images linked to the species or, when marked, to the closest representative taxon.
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