# Golden Mantella (*Mantella aurantiaca*)

> The golden mantella (Mantella aurantiaca) is a thumbnail-sized bright-orange frog of eastern Madagascar rainforests. Adults weigh about 2 g, secrete skin alkaloids, and are listed Critically Endangered.

- **Category:** Amphibian
- **Conservation status (IUCN):** Critically Endangered
- **Range:** Eastern Madagascar rainforest.
- **Canonical page:** https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/mantella/
- **Last reviewed:** 2026-07-16

## Scientific classification

- **Kingdom:** Animalia
- **Phylum:** Chordata
- **Class:** Amphibia
- **Order:** Anura
- **Family:** Mantellidae
- **Genus:** Mantella

## Facts at a glance

| Attribute | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Scientific name | Mantella aurantiaca |
| Diet | Insectivore |
| Habitat | Swamp forest |
| Lifespan | 8–10 years |
| Weight | 0.001–0.003 kg |
| Top speed | up to 2 km/h |
| Conservation status | Critically Endangered (IUCN) |

## Jewel frog of the swamp forest

Mantellas are tiny, day-active frogs with aposematic orange, green, or black patterns. Skin alkaloids deter predators — convergent with poison dart frogs of the Americas.

## Ants and termites on the forest floor

Tiny insects provide food and may supply defensive alkaloids sequestered in skin. They move in small groups near seepages and leaf litter.

## Eastern Madagascar swamp forest

Restricted to humid forest near Moramanga and Andasibe. They need clean leaf litter and seeping water — microhabitats within rainforest.

## Critically Endangered jewel

IUCN lists golden mantella Critically Endangered. Collection for the pet trade and forest clearing for rice shrank wild sites to a handful of localities.

## Frequently asked questions

### Are golden mantellas poisonous?

Skin alkaloids make them unpalatable; bright colour warns predators — similar strategy to poison dart frogs.

### How big is a golden mantella?

About 2–2.5 cm long — small enough to sit on a thumbnail.

### Why is the golden mantella Critically Endangered?

Tiny range, pet trade collection, and rainforest clearing destroyed most wild populations.

### Where can you see golden mantellas?

Protected forests near Andasibe-Mantadia National Park in eastern Madagascar.

### Do mantellas care for their young?

They lay eggs on land near water; tadpoles wash into pools — no parental back-brooding like Surinam toads.

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Source: Global Animal Guide (https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/mantella/). Licensed CC BY-NC 4.0 — free for non-commercial reuse with attribution.