Mantidactylus zipperi Vences & Glaw 2004

M 22-23 mm, F 30 mm. Tibiotarsal articulation does not reach snout tip. Fifth toe slightly shorter than third toe. Femoral glands in males large but not very prominent. Frenal stripe indistinct. Ventrally with an interrupted median light stripe on the throat and yellow colour on belly and hindlimbs (Glaw and Vences 2007).Variation: Specimens from Ambohitantely differ in their advertisement calls and may represent an undescribed species (Glaw and Vences 2007).Taken with permission from Glaw and Vences (2007).

An'Ala, Andasibe, Andrangoloaka, Mantadia, possibly Ambohitantely (Glaw and Vences 2007), at 850-1,500 m asl in pristine to slightly disturbed rainforest (Glaw and Vences 2008).

Habits: Calling males were observed during the day on the ground near rainforest streams (Glaw and Vences 2007). Calls: Series of up to 33 unharmonious pulsed notes, with a relatively slow note repetition rate (Glaw and Vences 2007).

Moderately common but decreasing. It occurs in three protected areas: the Réserve Spéciale d’Ambohitantely, Parc National de Mantadia, and Parc National de Ranomafana. It requires relatively pristine forest. The major threat is habitat loss due to subsistence agriculture, logging, charcoal manufacture, invasion and spread of eucalyptus, grazing, fire and expanding human settlement (Glaw and Vences 2008).