''Mantidactylus'' is a

frog A frog is any member of a diverse and largely semiaquatic group of short-bodied, tailless amphibian vertebrates composing the order (biology), order Anura (coming from the Ancient Greek , literally 'without tail'). Frog species with rough ski ...

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

in the mantellid subfamily

Mantellinae Mantellinae is a subfamily of frogs in the family Mantellidae. These frogs are native to Madagascar and Mayotte. The species vary in size from under 25 mm (e.g. some species of ''Blommersia'') to over 100 mm (e.g. '' Mantidactylus guttu ...

. This genus is restricted to

Madagascar Madagascar, officially the Republic of Madagascar, is an island country that includes the island of Madagascar and numerous smaller peripheral islands. Lying off the southeastern coast of Africa, it is the world's List of islands by area, f ...

. The genus is divided into several

subgenera In biology, a subgenus ( subgenera) is a taxonomic rank directly below genus. In the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature, a subgeneric name can be used independently or included in a species name, in parentheses, placed between the ge ...

that form

monophyletic In biological cladistics for the classification of organisms, monophyly is the condition of a taxonomic grouping being a clade – that is, a grouping of organisms which meets these criteria: # the grouping contains its own most recent co ...

genetic clusters and are ecologically similar.

Taxonomy

''Mantidactylus'' was erected by Boulenger in 1895 with the

type species In International_Code_of_Zoological_Nomenclature, zoological nomenclature, a type species (''species typica'') is the species name with which the name of a genus or subgenus is considered to be permanently taxonomically associated, i.e., the spe ...

'' Rana guttulata''. For a long time the genus contained a wide variety of mostly

terrestrial Terrestrial refers to things related to land or the planet Earth, as opposed to extraterrestrial. Terrestrial may also refer to: * Terrestrial animal, an animal that lives on land opposed to living in water, or sometimes an animal that lives on o ...

Madagascan frogs, that were divided into species groups and/or subgenera. Several of these groups were subsequently erected to genus level: ''

Blommersia ''Blommersia'' is a genus of frogs in the mantellid subfamily Mantellinae. This genus is restricted to Madagascar. At present it contains 11 species. It was formerly a subgenus of the genus ''Mantidactylus ''Mantidactylus'' is a frog genus i ...

'', '' Boehmantis'', '' Gephyromantis'', ''

Guibemantis ''Guibemantis'' is a frog genus in the mantellid subfamily Mantellinae. This genus is restricted to Madagascar. At present it contains 25 species divided into two subgenera. Taxonomy The genus ''Guibemantis'' was erected as a subgenus of ''Man ...

'', ''

Spinomantis ''Spinomantis'' is a frog genus in the Mantellidae, mantellid subfamily Mantellinae. This genus is restricted to Madagascar. At present it contains 13 species. They are Arboreal locomotion, arboreal or terrestrial frogs and occur in or along smal ...

'' and '' Wakea''. Today, six subgenera remain within the genus ''Mantidactylus'': *''Mantidactylus'' Boulenger, 1895 *'' Hylobatrachus'' Laurent, 1943 *'' Brygoomantis'' Dubois, 1992 *'' Ochthomantis'' Glaw & Vences, 1994 *'' Chonomantis'' Glaw & Vences, 1994 *'' Maitsomantis'' Glaw & Vences, 2006

Species

New

species A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...

of ''Mantidactylus'' are described at a rate of a few per year on average. The following list contains all described species as of 6 January 2023, arranged by subgenus: *''Mantidactylus'' :*''

Mantidactylus guttulatus ''Mantidactylus guttulatus'' is a species of frog in the family (biology), family Mantellidae. It is Endemism, endemic to Madagascar. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and rivers. It is not considered threate ...

'' Boulenger, 1881 :*''

Mantidactylus grandidieri ''Mantidactylus'' is a frog genus in the mantellid subfamily Mantellinae. This genus is restricted to Madagascar. The genus is divided into several subgenera that form monophyletic genetic clusters and are ecologically similar. Taxonomy ''Manti ...

'' Mocquard, 1895 :*''

Mantidactylus radaka ''Mantidactylus'' is a frog genus in the mantellid subfamily Mantellinae. This genus is restricted to Madagascar. The genus is divided into several subgenera that form monophyletic genetic clusters and are ecologically similar. Taxonomy ''Manti ...

'' Rancilhac, Bruy, Scherz, Pereira, Preick, Straube, Lyra, Ohler, Streicher, Andreone, Crottini, Hutter, Randrianantoandro, Rakotoarison, Glaw, Hofreiter & Vences, 2020 *'' Brygoomantis'' :*''

Mantidactylus ulcerosus ''Mantidactylus ulcerosus'' is a species of frog in the family Mantellidae. It is endemic to Madagascar. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, subtropical or tropical moist montane forests, rivers, swamps, freshw ...

'' Boettger, 1880 :*'' Mantidactylus bellyi'' Mocquard, 1895 :*'' Mantidactylus noralottae'' Mercurio & Andreone, 2007 :*''

Mantidactylus betsileanus ''Mantidactylus betsileanus'' is a species of frog in the family Mantellidae. It is endemic to Madagascar. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, subtropical or tropical moist montane forests, rivers, freshwater m ...

'' ( Boulenger, 1882) :*'' Mantidactylus inaudax'' (Peracca, 1893) :*'' Mantidactylus tripunctatus'' Angel, 1930 :*'' Mantidactylus curtus'' ( Boulenger, 1882) :*''

Mantidactylus ambohimitombi ''Mantidactylus ambohimitombi'' is a species of frog in the family Mantellidae. It is endemic to Madagascar. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist montane forests, subtropical or tropical high-altitude grassland, and rivers. It i ...

'' Boulenger, 1919 :*'' Mantidactylus bourgati'' Guibé, 1974 :*'' Mantidactylus madecassus'' (Millot & Guibé, 1950) :*'' Mantidactylus pauliani'' Guibé, 1974 :*'' Mantidactylus alutus'' (Peracca, 1893) :*'' Mantidactylus biporus'' ( Boulenger, 1889) :*'' Mantidactylus tricinctus'' (Guibé, 1947) :*'' Mantidactylus schulzi'' Vences, Hildenbrand, Warmuth, Andreone & Glaw, 2018 :*''

Mantidactylus mahery ''Mantidactylus'' is a frog genus in the mantellid subfamily Mantellinae. This genus is restricted to Madagascar. The genus is divided into several subgenera that form monophyletic genetic clusters and are ecologically similar. Taxonomy ''Manti ...

'' Scherz, Crottini, Hutter, Hildenbrand, Andreone, Fulgence,

Köhler Köhler is a German language, German occupational surname literally meaning "charcoal burner" People *Achim Köhler (born 1964), German politician *Alban Köhler (1874–1947), German radiologist. Born in Petsa (Thuringia), he discovered a rare ...