The Cowan's Mantella is a member of one of the most popular, colorful, and unusual groups of frogs - the mantellas.

Cowan's Mantella, also known as the "Cowan's Frog" and the "Painted Mantella," will grow to a length of 3/4 to 1 1/4 inches. Their skin color is glossy black with a large orange or red marking over the eyes. Their back legs are orange and black striped and their front ones are all black. Their underbellies are black with small blue dots. Their call sounds like a short clicking noise. The male and female show no visible differences between them.

The Cowan's Mantella is a native of the rainforests of Madagascar. Its home in the wild is being destroyed by deforestation, and it is considered an endangered species. They were originally thought to be a color form or morph of Mantella baroni.

The Cowan's Mantella is not recommended for beginning frog keepers, but is suitable for those with an intermediate level of experience. In captivity, the Cowan's Frog will need to be misted twice daily and they will need a water dish to drink from. Keep the daytime temperature around 73 degrees Fahrenheit, dropping it to 68 degrees at night. Potting soil or orchid bark are often used as substrates. Cowan's Frogs are not picky eaters and will readily eat pinhead crickets, fruitflies (Drosphilia), and termites.

Females will lay eggs in cavities under rocks or dead trunks. Tadpoles will hatch when it rains. The female's clutch size will be around 40 eggs.