During the last two years, between September 2018 and March 2019, we monitored Mantidactylus pauliani (Figure 2) to collect new information on their abundance and distribution. This is a critically endangered species, and known one of the threatened species from Madagascar according Sahonagasy Action Plan, and home in the restricted area within the high altitude of the Ankaratra massif in the central highland of Madagascar.

This activity is a collaboration with the Vondrona Ivon’ny Fampandrosoana (VIF), the manager of this site in order to help its safeguards.

These surveys lasted 15 days per field observation. Six transect for a long monitoring along the streams were done (Anjababe, Ambitsika, Ambaniriana, Manontongana, Tsimiaramianaday, Tavolotara, and Ambitsika, Figure 1). The methods used were direct observation and systematic examination of the microhabitats along a six 100 m fix-based transects between 1762 and 2378 m elevations. The specimens captured by hand without release, and when the monitoring is finished we laid all of the captured individuals in their habitats.

A total of 548 individuals were observed during the cold and dry season (September 2018), 305 individuals during the warm and wet season (December 2018), and 226 individuals during the end of the warm and wet season (March 2019). This species is more abundant between 1993 and 2202 m altitudes, however we have observed spot individuals below 1900 m and above 2300 m.

We noticed that these distributions and abundances can depend on the quality of habitats (presence of the rocks, depth and speed of the water, Figure 3), the temperature variation, the altitude and the seasons.

The preliminary studies will help us to understand the dynamic of this species along these two years as a tool to help the manager to guide the conservation activities and preserve Ankaratra montane and its biodiversity.

One student got his master’s diploma on this study and now he continues for his PhD dealing about the relation between survival of this species and habitat change.

By RABIBISOA Nirhy, Sciences de la Vie et de l’Environnement, Faculty of Sciences, Mahajanga University