The mantellas are a large group of small Madagascar frogs whose appearance and habits are highly reminiscent of the more famous poison dart frogs from South and Central America. Some of them even secrete skin poisons. Unfortunately this was in my point-and-shoot camera days, and I knew better than to even try to photograph a little bitty frog with that equipment.

When we saw a few of these very small frogs hopping about on the rainforest floor, I assumed they were the same species as the very similar-looking Mantidactylus albofrenatus that we had seen on the same hike. But when I studied my photos later, I realized that there are a few minor but distinguishing characteristics. The smoking gun is that this frog has a white line from the insertion point of the foreleg up to the tip of the snout, whereas Mantidactylus albofrenatus has a white line from the insertion point of the foreleg to a point just past the eye, where it curls upward.

My sister Mary Sullivan took the photograph of my wife Monica Rua taking a photograph of the frog on my hand.

Here is a list of all the reptiles and frogs I saw on this 2007 trip to Madagascar.