Poison Arrow Dart Frogs

Information on Care

Belonging to the rainforest, poison dart frogs have various special requirements which must be met and maintained in order to provide them with a suitable living and breeding environment. Among the factors to be taken into consideration are light, temperature, humidity, food sources, and sanitation.

LIGHT

Due to their natural habitat, poison dart frogs do not like a great deal of light in their terrarium. Living on the forest floor, the bright sunlight is filtered through the trees providing less intense lighting on the leaf litter. Thus, plants in the aquarium benefit more from the light than the frogs do. Fluorescent lighting is preferred and should be used on a timed schedule of twelve hours on and twelve hours off.

TEMPERATURE

The temperature range in the terrarium should be maintained between 24 and 26 degrees Celsius (75-78 degrees F). Heating units can be purchased if the room which will house the frogs is not normally kept at these temperatures.

HUMIDITY

In addition to the strict temperature requirements, a high level of humidity must also be maintained. This can be accomplished through a timed mister, or through manually spraying the tank periodically with a hand held spray bottle. The humidity level needs to be kept above 70%. Extra care must be taken to prevent fungal and bacterial growth which can pose serious threats to the specimens. While it is important to maintain humidity the tank must also be well ventilated. A plexiglass lid that fits tightly on the aquarium, with small holes drilled in it, tends to work well.

SANITATION

Strict sanitation is very important. Amphibians are highly sensitive to impurities and infections. Any items displayed in the tank or used during feedings or at other times must be kept very clean. In addition, any areas of shallow water in the tank must be changed frequently because some frogs enjoy sitting in them and in doing so, may contaminate the water. Sphagnum moss, if used inside the tank, should be changed regularly. In between changings, the moss should be thoroughly rinsed out to rid it of contaminated water and urine.

FEEDING

Typically, these frogs are fed fruit flies, which can be obtained through scientific supply catalogs or select pet stores. This food source is both cheap and easy to maintain. Usually, the frogs are given either the apterous (wingless) or vestigial (crumpled, useless wings) varieties of fruitflies to prevent swarms if any of the flies were to escape. If both varieties are kept, it is important to ensure that they are not mixed, or you will be faced with a colony of flying insects.

Flies should be dusted with a vitamin/calcium mixture before they are offered to the frogs. These supplements can be obtained at almost any pet store.

In addition to flies, if your frogs are large enough and you are willing to offer other food selections, they can also be fed pinhead crickets (which are significantly smaller than the typical cricket), termite larvae, and other types of insects.

Poison dart frogs have a high metabolic rate so it is important to make sure they are well fed. However, beware of overfeeding which can cause obesity and health problems.