About
Anodonthyla vallani is a frog endemic to Madagascar and is known only from a single locality within the Ambohitantely Species Reserve.
This reserve encompasses the remaining forest fragments in this area of Madagascar and it is likely that this species is confined to the protected area. The area in which this species occur is only 29km². Unfortunately, the forest is disappearing at a rapid rate, due to the impacts of fire, illegal woodcutting by local people and overgrazing by life stock and this species is likely to become extinct if this is not addressed. This species is restricted to high elevation habitats and no other suitable habitat is found near anywhere nearby.
The Ambohitantely Special Reserve is poorly protected, small and isolated and so better management of the reserve and remaining habitat of this species is urgently needed. Reforestation is a possible method to combat these problems and also methods such as captive breeding should be considered.
This species is part of the Microhylid frog family and molecular data has shown that the initial divergence of the Microhylidae family to have taken place about 66 millions of years ago, or immediately after the Cretaceous extinction event.
- Order: Anura
- Family: Microhylidae
- Population: Common
- Trend: decreasing
EDGE Score
Distribution
This species is known from a single locality within Ambohitantely Special Reserve, Madagascar, around 1,580 metres above sea level.
Habitat and Ecology
This species lives in high-altitude forest. Individuals have been found on tree trunks several metres above the ground, and they are active in drier conditions than many other frogs. It is presumed they breed in water-filled tree holes.
