Description
Tibiotarsal articulation reaches at least the eye. Hand without webbing, foot webbing 1(0-1), 2i(1), 2e(0-1), 3i(1-2), 3e(0-1), 4i(1.5-2), 4e(1-1.5), 5(0). Terminal discs of fingers and toes very slightly enlarged. Specimens from the Betsileo region here considered to represent the real M. curtus often have a rather short snout. Dorsal skin smooth to slightly granular. Colouration dorsally very variable, often light brown with darker patches, with or without vertebral stripes. Males with rather small and often indisctinct femoral glands.

Similar species: All other species of Brygoomantis are more or less similar. See also similar species of M. ulcerosus.

Distribution and Habitat

Country distribution from AmphibiaWeb's database: Madagascar

	View distribution map in BerkeleyMapper.
	View Bd and Bsal data (6 records).

Antoetra, Col des Tapias, Ibity, Itremo. It occurs between 600-2,400m asl along streams in open agricultural areas, above tree line in montane grassland, and sometimes in forest (Vallan et al. 2008).

Life History, Abundance, Activity, and Special Behaviors
Habits: In streams along the central highlands of Madagascar, usually found at sites outside forest but with some gallery vegetation.

Breeding takes place in streams (Vallan et al. 2008).

Trends and Threats
It occurs in several protected areas (Vallan et al. 2008).

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

This species, originally described from “East Betsileo,” was long considered to occur throughout the central high plateau of Madagascar. Recent molecular data, and observation of apparent sympatry of more than one lineage superficially assignable to this species provides evidence that in reality it is a diverse complex of species to which also the high-altitude specialists M. madecassus and M. pauliani belong. Also M. ambohimitombi, a taxon of uncertain status, morphologically reminds a giant M. curtus and is not further considered here. The following description is valid for a general definition of the M. curtus complex, but detailed morphological characters of the various forms are at present unknown.

References

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

Vallan, D. Vences, M., and Nussbaum, R. (2008). Mantidactylus curtus. In: IUCN 2008. 2008 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. www.iucnredlist.org. Downloaded on 29 April 2009.

Species Account Citation: AmphibiaWeb 2009 Mantidactylus curtus <https://amphibiaweb.org/species/4590> University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA. Accessed Sep 14, 2024.

Citation: AmphibiaWeb. 2024. <https://amphibiaweb.org> University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA. Accessed 14 Sep 2024.

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