Dart Frogs

Dendrobatidae

   Dendrobatidae frogs go by many names, a few of which are Dart Frogs, Poison Dart Frogs, Arrow Frogs, and Poison Arrow Frogs. Most of these little amphibians will only reach ½ inch SVL their entire lives, while a few species may reach up to 2 inches. Arrow Frogs come in a great array of bright colors and patterns. Some use these colors to warn of their poisonous nature, while others wear them to bluff their way out of being dinner. 

-In Nature-

Range

Arrow Frogs are found in Central and South America.

Life Span

These frogs live 1 to 3 years in the wild on average.

Diet 

In their natural habitat, the toxic species gain their toxicity from their diet of ants, mites, and termites. The non-toxic species have a little more wiggle room in their diet for other small insects like fruit flies and beetles.

-In Captivity-

Life Span

In captivity, these frogs are known to live 4 to 8 years or more.

Diet

Captives may be fed pinhead crickets and flightless fruit flies.

Housing

Young frogs should be housed in a 12x12 or so container with tinted or covered sides . This will keep the humidity high and concentrate prey. 2 adults can be housed in a 10 gallon aquarium-turned-terrarium, and 10 gallons should be added for each additional frog. The substrate should be 2 inches deep and be made of coconut fiber or ½ inch gravels. A thin layer of leaf litter and moss should make up the top layer of substrate. The water dish should be shallow, to avoid drowning, but large enough for all frogs.

Feeding

The base, if not the whole, of the diet should consist of flightless fruit flies. A juvenile or young adult frog may consume 50 to 75 fruit flies a day, 4 or 5 days a week. Once a good weight is obtained, or adulthood is reached, the diet may be thinned.

Temperature

72 to 80°F *

85°F may be fatal*

Humidity

80 to 100%

Heating & Lighting

No special lighting or heating required, but a heat mat may provide heat and an infrared bulb may be used for viewing. Avoid incandescent bulbs for this species.

Handling

Handling may harm these frogs, and some are poisonous, so this should be avoided.

Compatibility

Compatibility depends on species. Some do well in community settings while others are aggressively territorial.