hear call (199.4K MP3 file)

	hear Fonozoo call
[call details here]

Description
M 27 mm, F 31 mm. Hand without webbing, foot webbing 1(0.5), 2i(1), 2e(0.5), 3i(2), 3e(1), 4i/e(2), 5(1). Tympanum in males very large, fully translucent, enabling observers to “look through the head” of the specimen; females with a smaller tympanum. Males with a slightly distensible single subgular vocal sac and distinct femoral glands. Dorsal skin smooth to very slightly granular. Dorsally greenish with brown markings, and with silvery white spots on the flanks. Ventrally silvery white with two black streaks on the throat; limbs and throat edges translucent green (Glaw and Vences 2007).

Similar species: Can be confused with species of Guibemantis, such as G. liber.

Distribution and Habitat

Country distribution from AmphibiaWeb's database: Madagascar

	View distribution map in BerkeleyMapper.
	View Bd and Bsal data (1 records).

Species occurs in Ambatovaky, Ambohimanana, An’Ala, Andringitra (Iantara river, Sahavatoy river, Marovitsika), Ankeniheny, Folohy, Mananara, Mantadia, Midongy (Glaw and Vences 2007). It has been recorded at 500-1100 m asl (Glaw and Vallan 2008).

Life History, Abundance, Activity, and Special Behaviors
Habits: Along streams in rainforest. Can be found on the ground, but males call during the day from bushes and trees 0.5-3 m above the ground. A clutch of 12 eggs was found on a leaf overhanging a stream, guarded by the male at night (Glaw and Vences 2007).

Calls: A series of 6-15 short and rather melodious notes (Glaw and Vences 2007).

Trends and Threats
This species is listed as least concern because of its relatively wide distribution, presumed large population, and because it is unlikely to be declining fast enough to qualify for listing in a more threatened category. Though it occurs in several protected areas, its forest habitat is receding due to subsistence agriculture, timber extraction, charcoal manufacture, and invasive spread of eucalyptus, livestock grazing and expanding human settlements (Glaw and Vallan 2008).

Possible reasons for amphibian decline

General habitat alteration and loss
Habitat modification from deforestation, or logging related activities
Intensified agriculture or grazing
Urbanization

Comments
Taken with permission from Glaw and Vences (2007) and Glaw and Vallan (2008).

References

Glaw, F. and Vallan, D. (2008). Mantidactylus argenteus. In: IUCN 2008. 2008 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. www.iucnredlist.org. Downloaded on 08 April 2009.

Glaw, F., and Vences, M. (2007). Field Guide to the Amphibians and Reptiles of Madagascar. Third Edition. Vences and Glaw Verlag, Köln.

Species Account Citation: AmphibiaWeb 2009 Mantidactylus argenteus <https://amphibiaweb.org/species/4579> University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA. Accessed Feb 1, 2025.

Citation: AmphibiaWeb. 2025. <https://amphibiaweb.org> University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA. Accessed 1 Feb 2025.

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