M 26-30 mm, F 29-31 mm. Tympanum distinct or indistinct, about 2/3 of eye diameter. Fingertips enlarged. Tibiotarsal articulation reaches beyond tip of snout. Finger 4 longer than finger 2, toe 3 longer than toe 5. Back light brown, usually with darker brown broad inversed V-shaped marking and a pair of black spots in the inguinal region (Glaw and Vences 2007).
Similar species: Plethodontohyla notosticta and P. guentheri have shorter hindlimbs (Glaw and Vences 2007).
Distribution and Habitat
Country distribution from AmphibiaWeb's database: Madagascar
Found in Ampahanana forest, Andasibe, Ankeniheny, Rangovalo Ridge, Sahanomanana, Ranomafana (Talatakely, Vohiparara), Vatoharanana, Volotsangana River, Zahamena (Glaw and Vences 2007) at 500-1500 m asl. Occupies both pristine and degraded forest, but not open areas (Raxworthy and Vences 2008).
Life History, Abundance, Activity, and Special Behaviors
Habits: Egg strings probably belonging to this species contained 111 eggs of ca. 3 mm in diameter. Dissected females contained 40-45 yellowish eggs. Adults were found in water-filled treeholes and bamboo stems, sometimes together with tadpoles and juveniles (thus this species may have parental care). Calling males usually sit on tree trunks at heights of 1-5 m (Glaw and Vences 2007).
Calls: Regular series of melodious notes. Note repetition rate ca. 11/min (Glaw and Vences 2007).
Trends and Threats
It occurs in protected areas such as the Parc National de Ranomafana, and in the Analamazaotra and Ambohitantely Special Reserves. However, its forest habitat is being lost due to increasing agriculture, logging, charcoal manufacture, invasion and spread of eucalyptus, grazing, fire and expanding human settlement (Raxworthy and Vences 2008).
Possible reasons for amphibian decline
General habitat alteration and loss
Habitat modification from deforestation, or logging related activities
Intensified agriculture or grazing
Taken with permission from Glaw and Vences (2007).
Glaw, F., and Vences, M. (2007). Field Guide to the Amphibians and Reptiles of Madagascar. Third Edition. Vences and Glaw Verlag, Köln.
Raxworthy, C. and Vences, M. (2008). Plethodontohyla mihanika. In: IUCN 2008. 2008 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. www.iucnredlist.org. Downloaded on 21 April 2009.
Written by Miguel Vences and Frank Glaw (m.vences AT tu-bs.de), Assistant Professor and Curator of Vertebrates at the Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics in the Zoological Museum at the University of Amsterdam
First submitted 2009-04-21
Edited by Kellie Whittaker (2010-07-19)
Species Account Citation: AmphibiaWeb 2010 Plethodontohyla mihanika <http://amphibiaweb.org/species/6219> University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA. Accessed Jun 2, 2020.
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Citation: AmphibiaWeb. 2020. <http://amphibiaweb.org> University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA. Accessed 2 Jun 2020.
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