Table of contents:
- Terrarium for the bronze mantella
- Feeding the Bronze Mantella
- Socialization / domestication
- Breeding Bronze Mantella
- Diseases of the bronze mantellas
Video: Content Of The Bronze Mantella (Mantella Betsileo)
2024 Author: Molly Page | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 15:30
In captivity, the bronze mantella is secretive, preferring to hide under the bark of trees, in pebbles or fallen leaves. It reproduces with great difficulty. For its maintenance, you will need a terrarium or horizontal type vivarium. Due to their tiny size, these frogs can easily escape! They are extremely demanding on cleanliness. If the terrarium is not cleaned in time, mantells get sick with various diseases … Mantells cannot be bought as a gift for children, as they are moderately poisonous. The poison is not dangerous to humans, but it can cause local irritation.
Terrarium for the bronze mantella
Type: terrarium or vivarium of horizontal type, closed on top with a mesh cover. Due to their tiny size, they can easily escape!
Sizes: size for 3-4 individuals - 60x45x40 cm, for 10-12 frogs - 90x40x50 cm.
Substrate (substrate): sphagnum moss, or pebbles (medium size), or a mixture of sphagnum, compost and orchid bark. The substrate is changed every week. The same moss can be used (up to 3 times, no more!), For which it is thoroughly washed under running clean water.
Cleaning / tidying up: mantells are very dirty, so cleaning should be done every 5-7 days, if there are many frogs - every 3-4 days. If the terrarium is not cleaned in time, mantellae get sick with various diseases.
Temperature: daytime - 20-22 ° C, night - 18-19 ° C. Most mantellas cannot stand high temperatures. If a UV lamp is used for heating, then a slight deviation of temperature from the norm is allowed within 2-3 ° C.
Heating: using a heating pad (with thermostat) located under 1/2 of the cage bottom.
Lighting: full UV fluorescent lamps. Daylight hours: in summer - 14 hours, in winter (November-March) - 11 hours.
Humidity: 70-80%.
Plants: climbing plants (eg fittonia, common ivy), spiral ferns, bromeliads. Plants are first planted in pots and then placed in a terrarium. The bottom of the pots is covered with moss.
Pond: a shallow bowl (2 cm deep, 10 cm in diameter) with clean water. Place the plate away from heat and light sources.
Decoration: you can add stones, logs, branches, anything that creates hidden and elevated places.
Related article Contents of the bronze mantella (Mantella betsileo)
Feeding the Bronze Mantella
Can be given: variety must be observed when feeding mantells. The bronze mantella favors fruit flies and ants. All insects must be free of pesticides and pesticides.
Do not feed: flour beetle.
Feeding frequency: adults - once a day, young (growing) - several times a day. Beware of overfeeding mantells!
Mineral dressing / vitamins: 1-2 times a week the insects are sprinkled with powdered calcium and vitamins.
Socialization / domestication
Compatibility: can live in the same terrarium with Madagascar geckos.
Personality: male bronze mantellas are very territorial, they jealously guard their territory. Territorial aggression exists in both sexes, but in males it is more pronounced.
© Photo Lubomír Klátil
Breeding Bronze Mantella
Preparation: under favorable conditions, males behave territorially and begin to sing. If males have poor territoriality, they sing poorly, increase the amount of food, and on warm days spray water over the substrate. Courtship of the Mantells takes place secretly, under bark or logs. Eggs should not be touched for several days after laying.
Breeding terrarium / aquarium: the temperature of the water for the tadpoles is kept between 21-25.5 ° C.
Male to female ratio: 2-3: 1
Pregnancy / Incubation Period: When breeding mantells in captivity, there is a high percentage of unfertilized eggs. Therefore, if within 18-30 hours after laying, no signs of embryo development are observed in the eggs, it means that they were not fertilized.
Offspring: Larvae hatch within 2-6 days. Sprinkle eggs regularly with water. During the entire period of tadpole development, be sure to clear the water from tadpole excrement. It is necessary to prepare additionally for the detachment of the tail from tadpoles: they make a gentle bank, which is lined with moss, so that the frogs can get out of the water. As soon as the mantella came out on land and grew to 5-10 mm, it must be placed in a separate plastic container (the bottom of the container is lined with moss), do not forget to put a small bowl (2.5 cm in diameter) with water inside. Young mantellas are fed by aphids, since fruit flies are too large for them. At this stage of development, there is a 30-50% mortality of mantells, regardless of the amount of food. After 10-12 weeks, the mantells turn bright colors and grow up to 10-14 mm.
Feeding the youth: tadpoles are herbivores, but they can eat meat, fish food (trout) and lettuce (lettuce leaves are pressed to the bottom of the terrarium with a stone).
Growth rate: depending on the species - 45-360 days.
Related article Setting up a terrarium for tree frogs (tree frogs)
Diseases of the bronze mantellas
Predisposition to disease: Bronze mantella most often gets sick due to improper maintenance, and if they were caught in nature, then most likely they are already sick (therefore, it is best to buy mantells born in captivity). At high humidity, mantells easily get sick with various bacterial infections. All new frogs must be quarantined for 2 weeks.
Major diseases: infection with bacteria Aeromonas hydrophilia, HRMSS (muscle cramps due to high temperatures), other amphibian diseases.
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