Age profile in nine Mantella poison frogs from Madagascar, as revealed by skeletochronological analyses.

Skeletochronology has been successfully used to age temperate amphibians, enabling comparisons of longevity and the age at sexual maturity. To date, however, there have been few similar studies conducted using this technique in tropical amphibians. Here we present data on age structure and age at maturity for nine species of Malagasy Mantella frogs: M. baroni, M. bernhardi, M. sp. aff. expectata, M. cowani, M. crocea, M. laevigata, M. nigricans, M. pulchra and M. viridis. The genus Mantella includes some of the most threatened frog species in Madagascar, and also some of the most requested species for the international pet trade. The lack of basic information on the life history of these species in the wild is hindering the development of sustainable collection models. We analysed museum specimens and bone samples of free living individuals collected during several surveys in western and eastern Madagascar. All investigated species showed a comparatively short longevity (0-4 LAGs) and sexual maturity was reached on the 1st or the 2nd year of life.