Mantella laevigata Methuen & Hewitt, 1913
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
Open encyclopedia reference
The climbing mantella (Mantella laevigata) is a species of diurnal poison frog of the genus Mantella that resides in the subtropical regions of northeast Madagascar. Although it spends a significant amount of time in trees or bamboo forests, this frog species is not fully arboreal and actively seeks areas with a water source.
Like others in the Mantella genus, the climbing mantella has aposematic coloration, which warns predators of its toxic secretions. The lipophilic alkaloids, the building blocks of the poison, are derived from dietary arthropods. The climbing mantella consumes a variety of small insects, and its diet changes dramatically with varying seasons.
Climbing mantella engage in unique reproductive behaviors that revolve around arboreal oviposition sites. Males compete with one another over the shallow pools of water where females lay their eggs. Climbing mantella exhibit a high degree of parental care, which is unusual among frogs.
Wikipedia contributors, Climbing mantella; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T17:06:15.199610+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Mantella laevigata Methuen & Hewitt, 1913
- Name authority
- Methuen & Hewitt, 1913
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Amphibia
- Order
- Anura
- Family
- Mantellidae
- Genus
- Mantella
- Extinction status
- Recorded extant
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumOsteichthyes
- megaclassTetrapoda
- classAmphibia
- orderAnura
- familyMantellidae Laurent, 1946
- subfamilyMantellinae Laurent, 1946
- genusMantella Boulenger, 1882
- speciesMantella laevigata Methuen & Hewitt, 1913
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Mantella. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Mantella baroni Boulenger, 1888 | MantellidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Mantella bernhardi Vences, Glaw, Peyrieras, Böhme & Busse, 1994 | MantellidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Mantella betsileo (Grandidier, 1872) | MantellidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Mantella expectata Busse & Böhme, 1992 | MantellidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Mantella madagascariensis (Grandidier, 1872) | MantellidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Mantella manery Vences, Glaw & Böhme, 1999 | MantellidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Mantella nigricans Guibé, 1978 | MantellidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Mantella pulchra Parker, 1925 | MantellidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Mantella viridis Pintak & Böhme, 1988 | MantellidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Mantella cowanii Boulenger, 1882 | MantellidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Mantella aurantiaca Mocquard, 1900 | MantellidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
| Mantella crocea Pintak & Böhme, 1990 | MantellidaeChordata | Accepted speciesRecorded extant |
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=664038 Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record. A suitable sourced image remains to be added.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:3XW7K. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.