# General Topics > General Discussion & News > Care Sheet Proposals >  Blue-legged Mantella (Mantella expectata) Care Sheet - by Joshua Ralph

## Joshua Ralph

*Blue-legged Mantella
Basic & Advance Husbandry
by 
Joshua Ralph* 



*Scientific name:* _Mantella expectata.
_*Conservation Status:* Endangered. 
*Micro-habitat:* Leaf litter / Wet Canyons / Rocks & Crevices / Foliage & Shrubs.





> Colouration of the legs change dramatically, this could be mood, breeding or moisture dependent.


*Temperature Ranges -
Basking Zone (Substrate surface temperature**°C*): 27°C
*Ambient (Air) Temperature in Summer (°C):*23˚C - 27˚C
*Ambient (Air) Temperature in Winter (°C):*18˚C - 20˚C   

*Photo-period Activity: 
*Diurnal (Day Time Active) in captivity - 
10:14 Winter Period. 
12:12 Summer Period. 

*Humidity Parameters:* 
 During the   winter period, humidity should be provided in the form of a light spray once   every other day, to prevent individuals from drying out (70-75%) humidity is   advised). 




During the summer period, humidity should be provided more regularly than during their winter period, this also provides the stimulation to breed the specimens you have, if all else is correct. (80-85% humidity is advised). 

*Water Parameters:* 
A  water bowl isnt strictly needed however if you do decide to use one  then make sure its shallow and that there is something placed in the  middle to allow the frog to climb out easily, due to this species being  not particularly efficient at swimming and can easily drown in small  amounts of water.

   Water quality is very important as amphibians have very delicate skin  which absorbs water through their skin (known as Porous or Permeable  skin) so extra care must be given when using water. It is highly  recommended that, Rain Water should be used (If Safe) or RO  (Reverse-Osmosis) if available. If tap water is used, de-chlorinating  the water and checking the temperature is the same as the tank will  reduce stress on the individuals.

*Dietary Requirements:* 
*Adults & Offspring -*
Blue-legged Mantella, along with the rest of the genus,   are insectivorous in  their feeding habits, and require a similar diet to that   given to  poison dart frogs. They are fairly undemanding in terms of what they    will eat, with variety being recommended in any event  the main  requirement   is that their food needs to be small enough to be  swallowed easily. 

Suitable Livefoods that can be provided to species are:
■ Flightless Fruitfly (_Drosophila Melanogaster)_
■ Tropical Springtails _(Folsomia candida)_
■ Tropical Dwarf Woodlice (_Trichorina tomentosa)_
■ Pea Aphids _(Acyrthosiphon pisum)_
■ Lesser Waxworms _(Achroae grisella)_
■ Newly-hatched Waxworms _(Galleria mellonella)_
■ Hatchling Black Crickets _(Gryllus assimilis)_
■ Hatchling Banded Crickets _(Gryllodes sigillatus)_





> Flightless Fruitfly (_Drosophila Melanogaster)_



Feed    daily  if individuals look under weight however feeding for normal  weight    individuals should be provided 3 times a week during the  Summer  period.   Approximately, 10 individual feed items (regarding  Flightless  Fruit fly and   Hatchling Crickets) should be given each  feed. However,  less the amount when   feeding things such as Waxworms  which contain a  high fat content. 

Whenever  possible, Livefoods should be dusted with a suitable vitamin and  mineral supplement or gut-loaded prior to feeding. Some of these  invertebrates, such as the tropical dwarf woodlice can be included in  the vivarium, helping to keep the substrate clean, often being referred  to as custodians for this reason, with the frogs snapping up  individuals that cross their path, as would happen in the wild.





> Tropical Springtails _(Folsomia candida)_


 

Particular care, though, should be taken with Crickets, because they  can bite the frogs and represent a hazard if they remain in the  Terrarium. Never be tempted to release a large number there  only  provide them in small numbers, so they should all be eaten quickly by  the frogs.

*Enclosure / Exhibit:* 



The  best type of accommodation for keeping the individuals in would be an  all-glass Terrarium. The size required will be influenced by the  following factors:

 *1.* The species that you intend to keep.
 *2.* How many individuals you have.
 *3.* The ratio of the sexes.

A  400mm (16in) cube vivarium would easily house 3-4 individuals  comfortably but ideally, a larger 800mm (32in) enclosure is needed for  more than four individuals. The extra space will help to prevent  individuals becoming too dominant, and bullying others, as can happen in  more restricted surroundings.

It  is now common practice that, keepers tend to house their specimens in  enclosures containing live plants, and these can look stunning, with  suitable lighting, both for the frogs and to ensure good plant growth. A  2.0% or 5.0% UV strip bulb should be incorporated into their quarters  therefore, with a day/night light cycle also being set up, on a timer if  necessary.

*Live Plants:*

Live  plants can be purchased from specialist suppliers, who can offer what  are effectively organic or untreated plants in safe soil. The list of  plants that can be used includes:


*Bakers Anthurium* _(Anthurium bakerii)_*Fuchsia begonia* _(Begonia_ _foliosa)_*Snakeskin plant* _(Fittonia_ _verschaffeltii)_*Devils ivy* _(Epipremnum_ _aureum)_*Pearl laceleaf* _(Anthurium_ _scandens)_*Bolivian inch plant* _(Callisiar repens)_*Creeping fig* _(Ficus pumila)_*Fiddle-leaf fig* _(Ficus_ _agittata)_*Japanese wood fern* _(Dryopteris erythrosora)_*Heart fern* _(Hemionitis_ _arifolia)_*Rabbits foot fern* (_Phlebodium areolatum_)  



Snakeskin plant _(Fittonia_ _verschaffeltii)_ 


Please  do not use live plants that are sold generally at various Supermarket  shops, as these are often treated with various chemicals, in terms of  fertilisers and pesticides. These are likely to be harmful, both for the  frogs as well as their invertebrate prey too. Be sure to discard any  soil on such plants, before setting them in the vivarium, and wash off  the leaves and stems as well, in a clean bowl of tepid water.

*Substrate:*
As a substrate for the enclosure, a mixture of Sand and coir compost that can be purchased in brick form can be used in combination with sterilised leaf litter (30/70 Sand to Soil Ratio). Live mosses such as Kyoto Bonsai moss or Java moss _(Vesicularia dubyana)_ should also be provided, to provide a constant source of both moisture and hiding places for the frogs.

*Breeding & Other Comments:*
*Gender Identification*
Before  you can breed a species, you obviously need to be able to have access  to sexed specimens, which will give you the ratios that you would need,  to have success. There are many different methods that you could use to  identify the correct genders of specimens, however none are completely  accurate. Here is a small list of visual and auditory methods which are  all Sexually Dimorphic; 


*Size Difference,**Mesonephric / Wolfian Ducts* *Egg Gravidity / Egg      Detection**Colouration* *Auditory Behaviour /      Calling* 

With some species within the genus, the signs of sexual difference can be quite obvious, like with the Golden Mantella (_Mantella aurantiaca)_ which  shows tremendous differences in size, as females tend to be a lot  larger in both girth and length in comparison to the males who are more  slender and petite.  However, some species are near enough impossible to  sexually identify, such as the Brown Leaf Mantella (_Mantella betsileo_) which show differences so subtle, that they are more often incorrectly sexed. 

Blue Legged Mantella males tend to be slightly smaller by 9mm or so, and tend to have much brighter colours; however this is not entirely accurately a majority of the time.






> Male (Right) you can see is clearly a lot smaller than the Female (Left)




Auditory  behaviour or Calling is one of the most common methods people use to  differentiate the sexes, as males use calling for advertising their  presence to females, but even this method has its own draw backs, due to  the pure shyness of some species within the genus, and their reluctance  to call in the presence of humans.  

However,  you can still have the ability to sex your specimens using this method,  either by individually housing, temporarily, your individuals and  waiting for them to call or by using CCTV cameras which are set to  record, allowing the option to playback and view the captured footage.


*Ratios Needed.*
With  most breeding projects of many species of Amphibia, you may find that  having the correct ratio may in fact be vital to the success or failure  of the breeding of your Mantella. Having a larger quantity of males  would, of course, increase the chances of a successful breeding  dramatically however it doesnt mean that a pairing wouldnt be  successful, just a reduced chance.


Ideally,  you would have a higher chance of success with a ratio of four males to  one female, or even higher than that, depending on of course the size  of the Terrarium they are kept in. Remember, it will not always be a  single male specimen, who will fertilise spawn, there could possibly be  one or two individuals to fertilise the spawn. 

*Stimulating Breeding.*
Like most species of Amphibia, the Blue Legged Mantella require certain reproductive triggers to encourage them to breed and these factors are nearly, always changes in seasonal conditions/patterns. However, not every species is the same with their reproductive triggers or behaviours some differ almost entirely in the way their breeding response kicks in.

In the way of stimulating your specimens to breed, you will need a lengthy process to cycle the individuals through a winter period for up to two to three months. This not only provides stimulus for breeding behaviour, but also providing a natural climate variation as they would receive in the wild.
Along with this change in climate, you can also provide more differences such as lowering the temperature, the amount of dietary items given, the amount of light that the specimens will receive and, of course, lowering the amount of humidifying they receive.  

In regards to the Blue Legged Mantella, breeding is rarely achieved within the captive environment however it is not unheard of. 
*
**WARNING* 
Please ensure that all individuals are fully prepared for this preparation, as this can be stressful for the animals.
 
*Humidifying  Winter.* 

In regards to what the humidity should remain at, the optimum amount should be about 70-75%  which should be provided in the form of a light spray every other day (once on the spray days. This will provide the required triggers to mimic the build up to their summer period of plentiful precipitation, and the spraying that is provided, of course, prevents the specimens from drying out completely.

*Temperature  Winter.*
In regards to temperature, 18˚C  20˚C is thought to be the best and highly recommended temperature requirements for the species; however it can rise to approximately 21˚C during their winter period.

*Feeding  Winter.*

The dietary schedule should be altered completely for this breeding preparation, to mimic the lack of food that would be available for the individuals during their rest period. Lower not only the quantity you feed them but also how often you feed them, which can be twice a week if needed. (Please heed warning above, do not attempt this if the specimens are not fully prepared prior.)

When the time is right, you can slowly bring an end to the winter period and start to build an increase in all the previously lowered habitat stimuli. 


*Humidifying  Summer.* 

In regards to what the humidity should remain at and built up to, the optimum amount should be about 80-85%  which should be provided in the form of a medium/heavy spray every day for 3 times  day. 

*Temperature  Summer.*
In regards to temperature, the temperature can be slowly risen back to 22˚C - 27˚C to show the difference, yet again, in climate and season. This should be done gradually, not immediately due to the shock and stress this could provide to the individuals.

*Feeding  Summer.* 
The dietary schedule should be altered and resumed as normal with the increased amounts of dietary items and variation, but with a gradual increase over the course of a week. 

    After a few weeks, you will begin to see a difference in the  individuals, especially the females who will even show signs of being  gravid, due to the spawn being clearly visible through their skin on  their abdomens. You will see white markings which will be spherical in  shape, in their abdomens. 

*Rearing Notes:* 
*Spawn.
*
 Egg disposition is a lengthy process, which can take up and above 14-15 weeks in total, after providing the specimens with their breeding seasonal changes. The spawn itself, will be found in spaces that are quite near water sources, sometimes directly next to water bowls, typical upon rocks or pieces of slate that are set at an angle to allow the tadpoles to fall into the water source. However, do not remove straight away and leave up to 3 days before removing it, due to the possibility that a male has yet to fertilise the spawn. If, after a few days (up to a week) the Ovum starts to turn a Brown/Tan colour, they have not been fertilised and must be removed immediately. 

When it is time to remove the spawn, they should be placed into a prior-prepared Tadpole rearing enclosure, which can have a few variations of how this can be provided. The most common Tadpole rearing tank is simply placing the spawn onto a clump of moss (if not already done in the Terrarium) which is placed onto a body of water, or near the waters edge but making sure the spawn isnt touching the water. This will allow the tadpoles, when the time is ready, to simply exit the egg sac and fall into the water body. Eggs hatch out approximately 3-4 days after fertilisation.
*
WARNING*  If the spawn has been left in the enclosure with the adults, make sure you remove the tadpoles as the adults sometimes can perform cannibalism.


*Tadpoles*.

For up to 5-6 days, the Tadpoles will not need to be fed at all, and more than likely will not feed if dietary items were provided. The specimens can be housed together and normally seem to prefer being housed communally, as cannibalism is not a great threat with the species.   
When providing an enclosure for rearing the tadpoles, a Plastic Hagen or Faunarium can be used with or without lid, with a shallow water level of only a few inches of water. Plants such as Pothos and also Clumps of Moss can be provided to allow the individuals to hide if they wish too; this also prevents the tadpoles from becoming too stressed. 

The most important thing to check is the Water quality. Tap water can be used from some areas, provided that it is treated with a tap water conditioner to remove chlorine, chloramines and heavy metals or you could simply leave it to mature for approximately 24 - 48 hours. There are other forms of water that can be used such as Rain Water (if safe), Bottled Spring Water and also Reverse Osmosis (RO) water. Please note that the water quality of the Rain Water must be checked to make sure it is safe, this can be done with water testing kits.

 
*Water Changes.*
 Care  must be taken to make sure Water Quality is not lowered and cleaning  must be provided regularly in the form of a minor water change, every  other day. Water filters can be provided, however the strong currents  produced by these devices can actually cause many health problems and  even fatalities, especially during the first couple of weeks after the  Tadpole has hatched. 

*Water Temperature.* 
Water temperature must be controlled and monitored closely, and should remain within the 22°C to 24°C temperature mark. However, make sure that it doesnt fluctuate too much and remains at a constant ideal temperature. 

*Feeding Tadpoles.*
 You  can use such feeding products similarly used with Tropical Fish and  Aquariums, such as Tetra Pro Algae and Tetra Min  Baby, which can  be mixed together into a pulp and made into smaller pellets. However,  other foods can be used though, such as Bloodworm, Daphnia and Shrimp  pellets which can be fed every day or every other day.

*Tadpole Growth Rate.*
Regardless of being from the same clutch, Tadpoles can actually morph at many different rates. At about the 16-17 week mark, the first of the offspring will begin to grow their front legs and hind legs and slowly start to take their first steps out of the water. Once this begins, they should be moved over to a separate rearing enclosure that has either a very low water depth of less than an inch or perhaps a container placed on a tilt which has a water section (shallow one of less than an inch) and a land section. This will allow the individuals to choose when the time is right to finally leave the water. Please ensure that a lid is now provided for the container to prevent the offspring from escaping.

*Froglets.*




> Mantella viridis individual 2 days after morphing



Soon  after the tail has been absorbed, the metamorphosis process is complete  to the beginning o their terrestrial form. The individuals with  approximately be 7mm in size and will require regular feeding on a  daily basis (if the dietary items from previous feeding havent been  fully consumed) with a wide range of items.  




Such items include; 
■ Flightless Fruitfly (_Drosophila Melanogaster)_
■ Tropical Springtails _(Folsomia candida)_
■ Tropical Dwarf Woodlice (_Trichorina tomentosa)_
■ Pea Aphids _(Acyrthosiphon pisum)_
■ Hatchling Black Crickets _(Gryllus assimilis)_
■ Hatchling Banded Crickets _(Gryllodes sigillatus)_

   However, not all these items can be used and some specimens may  require the smallest dietary items possible, which are commonly provided  in the form of Tropical Springtails. 
 
*Handling etc:* 
Like  with all Amphibians, handling should be kept to a minimum due to their  delicate skin and due to their size, it is not advisable unless  absolutely necessary.



You can handle amphibians but only when you need to or for a short period of time, make sure you do the following:



Rinse your hands with plain water, dont use soap or anything.      Scrub them well.Dry them and wet them with normal water or just simply not dry your      hands.Pick  up the animal, if handling for a little while then keep a       container of cold water with you so you can keep dunking your hands.Put the specimen back then wash your hands with soap to stop      disease and cross contamination.
 


Make  sure that you have nothing on your hands such as After Shave, Perfumes,  Alcohol, Alcohol Gel, Soaps and any sort of chemical as this can  seriously harm them.

 *Recommended Reading:* 
Introduction to Mantella  Joshua Ralph.
  Mantellas  Marc Staniszewski.

*Copyrights -*
Information © Joshua Ralph, 2014
Photographs © Joshua Ralph, 2014

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