Poison Dart Frogs Caresheet

Introduction: Poison dart frogs are small, brightly colored frogs from Central and South America. There are nearly 250 species that come in colors ranging from dark purple-blue, to bright neon yellow, to tan and black, and any combination of colors in between. The bright colors display by some species warn potential predators of their poisonous nature. Fortunately, poison dart frogs born in captivity are not poisonous. All species are diurnal, and because they are diurnal and brightly colored they are becoming increasingly popular in the reptile and amphibian hobby. Although there are many different species kept in captivity, only a handful are frequently found for sale. This care sheet can be applied to most commonly available Dendrobates and Phyllobates species, though I recommend researching the particular species you are interested in keeping to learn about their particular needs in captivity.

Poison dart frogs have a reputation for being difficult to keep, and in the past this was more true. Over the last twenty years, new captive care and breeding strategies have been developed that have helped establish dart frogs in herpetoculture. There is now a large selection of captive-bred species available from breeders, and many previously hard-to-find terrarium and vivarium products are now available through dealers on the Internet and some specialty pet stores. Poison dart frogs are still sensitive animals that do not tolerate mistakes well, but finding healthy frogs and purchasing the required supplies to keep them is now easier than ever. Careful planning and lots of research are the keys to succeeding with poison dart frogs.

Of the many species available, those that are large, bold, and affordable are generally best to start with. The following species have proven to be hardy frog, and are a good choice for someone looking to get involved with dart frogs for the first time: Dendrobates auratus, D. leucomelas, D. tinctorius , Phyllobates bicolor, P. terribilis, and P. vittatus . Many species occur naturally in different colors that represent isolated populations of the same species of frog. Usually the color type or morph of frog is indicated in a similar way to cultivars of different plant species, with the name of the color morph being placed after the scientific name, such as Dendrobates tinctorius ‘Powder Blue’ or Phyllobates terribilis ‘Mint’. Avoid housing different species or color morphs together. Do not purchase frogs younger than eight weeks of age, preferably only buying frogs that are at least twelve weeks old.

Cage: Poison dart frogs need a spacious tropical terrarium. It can be as simple as a 10 gallon aquarium with soil, a few clippings of pothos and a water dish, or as complex as a 100 gallon custom-made enclosure with running water, timed lighting and many different kinds of exotic tropical plants. Generally, it's best to start with an aquarium in the 15 to 30 gallon range for your first dart frog terrarium. A standard 20 gallon aquarium that measures 24 inches long by 12 inches wide by 16 inches high (61 cm by 30 cm by 40 cm) is usually large enough for two to four adult frogs.

Juvenile frogs (under six months of age) should be raised in small, simple terrariums so that they can find food easily. A standard 10 gallon aquarium that measures 20 inches long by 10 inches wide by 12 inches high (50 cm by 25 cm by 30 cm) is large enough to raise five or six young frogs. The cage should be kept simple, with a substrate of either moist paper towels, sphagnum moss, or a soil mixture, a few hide spots (cork bark curls, leaf litter, plant clippings, etc.), and a very shallow water dish. If paper towels are used as a substrate, they should be changed regularly.

Poison dart frogs are territorial animals and often fight over important breeding spots or feeding areas. Some species, such D. tinctorius, often do best when housed in male-female pairs rather than groups. If groups of frogs are housed together in one terrarium, it’s important that there is plenty of extra room, visual barriers, and hide spots. Most dart frogs only become territorial once they reach sexual maturity, so juvenile frogs can be raised together until they are large enough to be paired off and placed in separate enclosures.

Temperature and Humidity: Different species of poison dart frogs have different temperature requirements. Most commonly available species do best when kept between 74°F (23°C) and 82°F (28°C) during the day, with a drop down to around 70°F (21°C) at night. Some species from high altitudes need to be kept at lower temperatures. During cool months of the year, a reptile heat pad can be attached to the back or sides of the terrarium to maintain the proper temperature. If a false-bottom is used, a submersible aquarium heater can be placed below in the water to heat the terrarium. Heat lamps do not work well for heating terrariums that house dart frogs because they tend to dry out the cage.

Poison dart frogs need to be kept in an environment where the humidity level is very high. Most species do best when the humidity level in their terrarium is kept between 70% and 100%. To accomplish this, ventilation should be restricted (some keepers do not provide any ventilation) and the terrarium should be misted with water frequently, sometimes once or twice a day. When the humidity is kept at a low level or too much ventilation is offered, most species tend to be shy and stay hidden from view in the damp and moist areas of the terrarium in order to conserve moisture.

Food: Poison dart frogs are small amphibians that eat tiny food. Finding a constant source of tiny live insects is the most difficult part of their care. There are many places you can mail order small feeder insects from or, if you have a larger collection of dart frogs, you might want to culture them yourself.

Flightless ruit flies are small and extremely easy to culture. You can choose to culture fruit flies yourself (easy and cheap) or buy a few cultures every month from companies like ED's Fly Meat. There are two common species of flightless fruit flies found for sale: Drosophila melanogaster and D. hydei. The melanogaster are smaller and easy to culture. The hydei are somewhat larger and require a little more effort to culture.

Crickets are an easy to come by food item for poison dart frogs. Crickets are typically sold in six sizes (pin-head, 1/8 inch, 1/4 inch, ½ inch, 3/4 inch and 1 inch) from feeder insect companies, but only the two smallest sizes are small enough for most poison dart frogs to eat. Few pet stores carry crickets this small, so it is best to order them from feeder insect companies.

Other food items that can be used include springtails, termites, rice flower beetles, aphids, small fly larvae, pillbugs, and small wild-caught insects or “field plankton”. Only collect insects from places that are free of pesticides, fertilizers, and other chemicals that could be harmful to amphibians.

The number of food items that are fed per frog each day depends on the size of the insect and the size of the frog. A large D. tinctorius can easily eat 50 pinhead sized crickets in one sitting, but if larger crickets are used smaller quantities can be offered. Normally, between 15 and 40 insects can be fed per adult frog every other day, although this amount will vary quite a bit depending on the size of the frog and the size of the feeder insect. Young frogs do best when offered food once a day in smaller quantities. Use high quality reptile vitamin and mineral supplements to ensure nutritional requirements are met.

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ito pa yung iba

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Ang ga2nda, naka2takot nga lng my poison

sir tatts, It is argued that dart frogs do not synthesize their poisons, but sequester the chemicals from arthropod prey items, such as ants, centipedes and mites. This is known as the dietary hypothesis. Because of this, captive-bred animals do not contain significant levels of toxins. lupit noh!

archer wrote:

sir tatts, It is argued that dart frogs do not synthesize their poisons, but sequester the chemicals from arthropod prey items, such as ants, centipedes and mites. This is known as the dietary hypothesis. Because of this, captive-bred animals do not contain significant levels of toxins. lupit noh!

wow ayos pla kng ganun at hnd sya gnun kadelikado. My ngbreed nb satin n2?

may nakita ako nyan dun sa kabila kay randf ata username nun yun supplier ng mga reptile accessories ewan ko lang kung nag o-out sya.

Ic. Kso egG tpos bute2. Pano kya sa gender? Hehehe

The sex of a poison dart frog can be difficult to determine, but there are subtle clues in the frog's behaviors that will let you know whether you've encountered a male or a female. Females are competitive and territorial. Males will sometimes emanate clicking noises that serve as a "mating call" after eating. In younger frogs, females tend to be rounder than males and males will display a more delicate slope in their backs than females. If you have the courage (or the luck) to get close enough to the frog to see its toes, you may also be able to determine its sex this way. Males will often have toes that are wider at the tips than females. males being more colorful than females. Frog males have larger eardrums than females.

But some studies expose that some of frogs can change sex?

As far as frogs are concerned (and other organisms that display this
Phenomenon), apparently there are chemical triggers that respond to the
number of members in a population that will activate the gene(s)
that will allow for the disintegration of one set of sex organs and
the development of the other. This is an advantage to a species
whereby they have evolved the ability to assure their reproductive
success. cool

Tnx bro! Hanap nga aq. Sana hnd delikado kht hawakan

mga sir may idea ba kayo kung magkano ang bentahan nyan dito satin?

Hnd q kz pinansin b4 kz kala q delikado. W8 natin c archer bka alam nya

sir san po nkaka bili nyan poison dart frog magkano po price nyan. txnks

interested din ako. papm po kung may alam kayong seller..eheh thanks

Nice post sir. ngayon ko lang nalaman na di rin pala ka delikado yan, kahit hawakan po ba di mapopoison? saan po ba makakahanap ng ganyan?

Where can I get a trio of dart frogs here in PI? TIA