Azure Poison Dart Frog - Dendrobates auratus  

 

     

 

The blue poison dart frog, Dendrobates azureus, is perhaps one of the most beautiful dart frogs bred in captivity.  Bright colours, relatively large size (4.5 cm), and active nature make this a highly sought after species.  Poison dart frogs in general make great display animals that will thrive in naturalistic vivaria planted with live plants.   (Photo: Joshua V. Feltham)

   

Poison dart frogs require a high humidity environment but they do not do well on wet substrate.  Planting live plants in the terrarium and frequent spraying are both effective ways to maintain a high humidity environment without having a wet substrate.  (Photo: Joshua V. Feltham)

 

    Poison dart frogs require a large quantity of small prey to remain healthy.  Finding sufficient quantities of small prey can be difficult.  Purchasing fruit fly cultures or hatching your own pinhead crickets are two viable solutions this problem. (Photo: Joshua V. Feltham)

 

General Information

 

Distribution — Southern Surinam where it is boarded by Brazil and French Guyana.

 

Habitat — On or among rocks bordering streams that run through rainforest habitat.

 

Adult Size — Adult females attain snout-vent lengths of 4.5 cm (2 inches). Males are slightly smaller - rarely attaining 4.0 cm.

 

Temperament — Poison dart frogs are active alert animals that will forage in their enclosure during the day.

 

Longevity — This species lives to be between 8 and 10 years old in captivity.

 

Captive Care

 

Rating: 2 — Domestically bred poison dart frogs require high humidity environments and plenty of small prey items.  This species is given a rating of two due to the specialized dietary and environmental needs.

 

Diet: Fruit flies, pinhead crickets, aphids, and springtails.

 

Temperature: 22C to 27C (72-81F).

 

Space: A couple of adults adult can be housed a 10-15 gallon terrarium. Larger groups require larger terraria.

 

Breeding: As is the case with most poison dart frogs, successful breeding requires a group of adults and the proper egg deposition sites. Dendrobates azureus breeds well provided that several small "cave-like" structures covering shallow pools of water are available.  Coconut shell halves or small earthenware flowerpots with small entrance holes are suitable.  Eggs should be removed a day after they are deposited and incubated separately at a temperature of about 24oC-26oC.  Tadpoles should be housed individually in small containers and fed flake fish food, defrosted mosquito larvae, and finely chopped earthworms.

 

Special Requirements: Frequent misting is a must for this species.  Frequent feeding is also a must as these frogs feed on very small prey and they are active relative to many other frog species.

 

Sources (Suggested Reading):

Bartlett, R.D. 1996. Frogs, Toads, and Treefrogs. Barron’s Educational Series Inc., New York. Pp. 104.

Mattison, Chris. 1993. Keeping and Breeding Amphibians. Cassell Publishing, London, UK. Pp. 224.

Schmidt W., and F. W. Henkel. 2004.  Poison Frogs.  Chimaira Press, Frankfurt, Germany.  Pp. 166. 

Staniszewski, Marc. 1995. Amphibians in Captivity. T.F.H. Publications, Neptune, New Jersey. Pp. 544.

 

 

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