07.31.03


Frog Frequently Asked Questions NOTE: This is not meant, by any means, to be a complete listing of the requirements for successful keeping of poison dart frogs (PDF’s). It is intended to answer some of the questions that are frequently posed by those interesting in, or investigating, the hobby of keeping these rare and beautiful animals.



This FFAQ is an attempt to answer some basic questions that newcomers may have about poison dart frogs (PDF’s), also known as poison arrow frogs, or just arrow frogs. It is not meant to replace the extensive research that must be done before acquiring a frog. PDF’s are sensitive creatures that are easily stressed. They have requirements that may be very difficult to provide. The author recommends that anyone interested in this hobby acquire and read several of the very good books that are available on the subject, do extensive research on the internet, and, if possible, speak directly to experienced hobbyists before purchasing a frog.

What species is good for beginners?

It might be easier to name which animals are better avoided by
1. Small species - Thumbnail frogs are very small and should probably be avoided for a few reasons. First, they require very small food items that can be difficult to capture. Second, because of their small size, viewing them is often difficult. Also, they tend to be great escape artists.
2. Wild caught –These will often have parasites and are experiencing stress from the capture and shipping. They often do not survive.
3. Egg feeders – Species such as pumilio, which are obligate egg feeders, are best left to the experts. Any species with such demanding and difficult feeding requirements are not good for beginners. Good for beginners: (in approximate order of suitability)
Dendrobates auratus (The blue and black variety are more shy, and may not make a good pet as the owner will soon tire of not seeing his animals)
Dendrobates leucomelas
Dendrobates tinctorius (The larger forms are more advisable, as are the varieties which breed more readily)

Can I hold my frog?

Though captive bred PDF’s are not poisonous, it’s best not to handle amphibians. Their delicate skin can absorb the oils and contaminants on from your skin and irritate them. It is advisable that if/when you do have to handle your frog, either wear latex gloves or have slightly damp, but otherwise clean, hands. Can I keep different species of animals together? This is unadvisable for any but the most experienced keepers. Some people do house some of the small day geckos with their frogs, but this requires an intimate knowledge of the requirements of both species, in addition to a large, well planned, enclosure.

What about community tanks?

Keeping different species of frogs together will most likely be a recipe for disaster for a beginner. It can be done, but competition for food and the resultant stress will likely cause problems. Also, it is extremely undesirable to have different “morphs” or colors of frogs interbreed, as may happen if they are kept together. See Behavior section below

What do I feed my frogs?

Fruit flies are the most commonly fed food. They can be raised easily and cheaply, and may constitute the bulk of your frogs diet. However, they are NOT sufficient as the only food source for your frogs. Other recommended food items include newly hatched crickets, aphids, springtails, meadow plankton (sweepings from UNCONTAMINATED fields), rice flour beetles, wax worms, and some people have used very small meal worms, though there is some controversy about their use. Feeding can be a complicated issue, but overall, the more variety in your frogs diet, the better. Also, if possible, one should attempt to “gut load” the prey items. There are several recipes available on the Internet that detail the items that may be combined for a suitable gut load. It is mainly crickets that are amenable to gut loading, and as such, these newly hatched or “pinhead” crickets should probably be a regular item in your frogs diet. See supplementation section below. Perhaps the most important thing to keep in mind is that you have PLENTY of food available for the frogs. This doesn’t mean that you have it in their enclosures, but that you have it available to be fed to them. FF cultures crash, can get moldy, etc. so its always a good idea to have at least 1 or two backup cultures every time you make them. Also, a new keeper is probably going to be amazed at how much the animals can eat. Be sure to have plenty of food available BEFORE your frogs arrive.

What about water?

Being amphibians, frogs obviously need to live in a moist habitat. Water quality is a very important issue, and there are several water-related factors that can influence the health of your animal. The most obvious is the chemical additives that many municipalities add to their water to keep it potable. These can kill your frogs! The skin of the frog is very permeable, and will absorb the chemicals present in the water. Every precaution should be taken to insure that the water you are using is chemical free. This can include, but is not limited to, purchasing bottled water, deriving your water from commercial dispensers, and aging water. Beware that aging water may not take care of every chemical present. Second, the use of fossil fuels has left many localities with acidic rainwater. Therefore, it is not sufficient to use rainwater without first having it tested. RO or salt/mineral free water; many hobbyists choose to use this type of water to mist their tanks, as you MUST do at least once a day. The use of RO or otherwise salt free water avoids a buildup of minerals on the enclosure walls, and their buildup in the enclosure in general. However, keep in mind that the exclusive use of this type of water can lead to an osmolality imbalance in your frogs, and their ultimate death. If this water is used for misting, there should always be some access to normal, non-salt/mineral-free water for your frogs.

Supplementation

Food and prey items must be “dusted” with vitamins and minerals to prevent malnutrition in your frogs. There are commercially available mixes available, and you should attempt to provide prey items that are adequately supplemented with these powders often. Some breeders recommend that food be dusted with each feeding, others only supplement a few times a week. Some of the most frequently used supplements are Rep-Cal Herptivite and Re-Cal Phosphorus-Fee Calcium with Vit. D3. Calcium is especially important, as it is difficult to otherwise provide sufficient calcium to your animals.

Housing

This is a subject that has many different sub-topics. I will divide them up as follows
1. Size – The size of the enclosure is a serious consideration, and one must keep in mind that housing more than one animal in an enclosure may lead to problems (females may fight). But, a general rule of thumb for the tinctorius group is one frog per 5 gallons of tank size. This varies considerably depending on the species you select, and specific species have more need of floor space or vertical climbing space. Discuss these requirements with other froggers and breeders to get some advice on the particular species you are looking to acquire.
2. Material – The general requirement here is being watertight and amenable to having a lid that can keep humidity in. Also, keep in mind that frogs are usually kept for the visual beauty they provide, so you will want a tank that is transparent. As such, wood tanks, metal tanks, and the like are not normally suitable (though there are some beautifully made tanks that may have wood on 3 sides). Acrylic tanks are visually striking, but are also easily scratched. Converted glass aquariums are the most commonly used housings. Lids must provide some capacity to hold in moisture (generally, about 80% of the top should be solid), but you will also want to consider the UV transmission properties of the material you use. Some breeders report greater success with UV transparent materials, though there is quite a bit of discussion as to whether this in fact will benefit the frogs. Remember, most PDF’s are groud dwellers in a very heavily forested area, and probably don’t get much exposure to UV, or even any direct sunlight.
3. Humidity – As amphibians, PDF’s are especially sensitive to moisture levels. Low moisture levels may lead to hiding, and eventual death. At the very least, they probably won’t breed for you without sufficient humidity. Species have different requirements, but overall, between 80-100% humidity is desirable.
4. Substrate – This is the soil that your animals will walk on, and your plants will grow in. There are some commercial mixes available, and some mixes from breeders (see links). The following is a mix that has proven successful for the Atlanta Botanical Gardens, and is used by many froggers:
2 parts fine fir bark
2 parts fine tree fern fiber
2 parts milled sphagnum moss
1 part fine charcoal
1 part peat moss
See links for suppliers of the material, as some are difficult to come by. Alternatively, talk to your breeder to see what they are currently using. Keep in mind two things: What works for someone else may not work for you, and, keeping the animals on a substrate that they are accustomed to may reduce stress upon their introduction to your enclosure.
5. Plants – Your animals will feel much more comfortable in a fairly heavily planted enclosure. Therefore, you will need to make an investment in some tropical plants. There are several very good plant breeders that advertise on the Internet, and they can advise you regarding plant selection for your particular enclosure. Also, many nurseries and home improvement centers now carry tropical plants for sale. Many breeders do well with just a few pothos and bromeliads in their tanks, but hobbyists usually prefer a more diversely planted and colorful enclosure, usually including some form or moss covering the substrate. See links section for some ideas.
6. Lighting – As stated above, it is uncertain what the UV requirements of PDF’s are. It is clear that, since they are diurnal, they do require a clear light and dark cycle. Having said that, lighting is more critical for the successful growth of the plants that inhabit their enclosure/environment. Some tropical plants require fairly strong lighting, as does most species of moss. Historically, fluorescent lighting has been the most efficient way of providing sufficient light without causing too much heat to be introduced to the enclosures. The recent advent of “power compact” lighting has made this easier. The light output of these new lights is fairly strong, and is now frequently used. Standard “shop light” fluorescent fixtures with a combination of “plant growth” and “sunlight” bulbs are also commonly used. The subject of lighting can get complicated very quickly with topics like color rendering index (CRI), lumens, Kelvin ratings, wattage, etc. You will want strong, neutral colored (ie naturally colored or sunlight) lighting, and most probably this will come from a fluorescent fixture of some kind. Incandescent and VHO or Metal Halide lighting has also been used, but these types of lights produce a great amount of heat, something which is usually to be avoided.
7. Temperature – Again, the specific requirements of particular species will vary, but most of the tinctorius and related groups will not do well with sustained temperatures above 82F. Occasional temps of a few degrees higher will probably not hurt, and might actually benefit them by reproducing conditions found in nature, but sustained temps above the recommended range will result in stress, hiding, and eventually death. Most frogs seem to have an innate ability to recover rapidly from low temps, but for their living quarters, you will generally not want to allow temps to go below 70F. The ideal range for the tinctorius group is 75-80F. In nature, the animals will undoubtedly experience temp swings beyond this range, and varying the temp slightly beyond this range may more fully replicate natural conditions and seasonal variation, but do not expose your frogs to sharp or prolonged temperature swings beyond this ideal range.

Sex

Sexing of frogs can be difficult. Much depends on the species you are working with. In the tinctorius group, the male frog will have a call, but this may be virtually inaudible outside of their enclosure. In many cases, female frogs are noticeably larger than male frogs, and the males will have larger toe pads. Both of these rules of thumb have exceptions, and successfully sexing a frog can be difficult even for those with many years experience. If you have a young frog, sex is usually able to be determined between 1-1.5 years of age. Often, the only way to reliably sex a frog is to either wait for them to begin calling if it is a male, or note a lack of calling if it is a female. When purchasing animals, they will often have designations such as 2.1.3. This means that there are 2 males, 1 female, and 3 unsexed animals available. Furthermore, there may be a designation such as F1 or F2 attached to them. F1 designates one generation removed from wild caught, F2 is two generations, etc.

Purchasing Frogs

Purchasing animals is a difficult subject, fraught with tales of money lost, and sick animals. PDF’s are usually more easily obtainable from suppliers over the Internet, but this introduces even more uncertainty. If possible, purchase from a local source where you can see the animals first hand, and to minimize their stress from shipping. Having said that, there are a number of reputable and well-known breeders that advertise on the Internet, and on the Frognet classifieds. Always discuss the terms with whomever you purchase from, and discuss their current housing so as to minimize stress. Many breeders will guarantee live arrival, and some will even guarantee their survival up to seven days after arrival. Keep in mind that shipping can be expensive. If the temperatures in either the origin or the destination are high, the frogs will be stressed, so it is best to get the animals to their ideal location as rapidly as possible. Once you have acquired new frogs, they need to be quarantined. Never introduce a newly acquired frog into a tank with a captive that you have had for a while. Though most breeders recommend at least three months for quarantine, it is desirable that you quarantine animals for at least one month.

Breeding

If you have a male and female pair of frogs, and their environment and feeding are adequate, breeding will occur naturally. Most froggers provide some sort of “breeding hut” and either a petri dish or plant leaf for the frogs to lay and fertilize their eggs on. Sometimes, the animals may reject these quarters and decide to lay eggs in the axil of a bromeliad or on a leaf near water. In either case, it is usually desirable to remove the eggs once fertilized and provide a moist environment where they wont be disturbed. If in a petri dish, mist the eggs daily with good water, but do not allow this water to build up higher than midway up the egg (don’t cover the egg in water). Within a few weeks, tadpoles will emerge. There are several different methods of tadpole rearing, but the most “secure” manner to raise them is in individual containers. Food items can be algae, prepared tadpole food, or even just leaf litter. If you get this far with your frogs, purchase some of the books available on the market that deal with frogs, as there is much more detailed information available and necessary than this short FAQ can provide.

Behavior

Somewhat surprisingly, there are ranges of behaviors even within the tinctorius group that must be considered. First, and foremost, is the fact that these little frogs are incredible escape artists. If there is a way for them to get out, they will find it. Make absolutely certain that there are no available escape routes for them, and this includes the lids. After a while, Plexiglas and other plastic lids will bend. This provides an ideal escape route, and your frogs will find it. Second, females will fight. Sexually mature female Dendrobates (and a few other genus’ too) will battle for laying territory. This, at the least, will cause them stress, and at the most, can cause death. It is unwise to house two mature females in the same enclosure. Third, some “morphs” or subspecies prefer more vertical space. Please be aware of the needs of your frogs well in advance of their arrival, and set up their enclosure accordingly. Fourth, calling behavior is exhibited exclusively by males in the Dendrobates, and if you hear a call, you know you’ve got a male. Many of the calls are very faint, but a few species (such as leucomelas) have beautiful, bird-like calls that can be heard throughout the room. Lastly, toe tapping is a somewhat mysterious behavior that has been observed by every frog keeper. No one is exactly sure of what the root of this behavior is, but some attribute it to excitement, others to an instinctive imitation of raindrops to drive prey out of their hiding spots. Watch for this, as it is fascinating.

I hope this very short tutorial has been useful for you. It would be impossible and foolhardy to think that you can learn enough from this short FAQ to think that you can successfully raise dart frogs. Most experienced keepers recommend that you spend several months researching their needs, and assessing your capability to meet those needs, before deciding on them as a hobby. If and when you do decide to keep dart frogs, you will find it a fascinating and rewarding hobby! Keep on frogging!

Chad Mayer
31 July 03