Poison Dart Frog Care Sheet

Keeping poison dart frogs in captivity is rewarding as it is challenging. I often tell new hobbyists that cultivating food and maintaining a vivarium is as much of, if not more work than caring for the actual frogs. Poison dart frogs will thrive when optimal conditions are maintained and while each species does have their own differences from one another the over all general care is the same and will be outlined in this article.

Getting started keeping poison dart frogs

With vivarium setup and food in a steady supply you are now ready to get your poison dart frogs. Avoid pet stores or breeders without a stellar reputation as a healthy frog has a much better chance of acclimating to a new environment. There is an actively maintained list of reputable dart frog breeders available here which is a good place to start.

Most dart frogs do best in pairs to avoid aggression and absolutely do not mix species. Dart frogs keep a lineage that informs keepers to what locale that frog is from, losing that lineage and we as a hobby will lose the subtle differences that make these wonderful creatures different from one another.

Supplements and vitamins

In the wild the poison dart frogs have access to an abundance of different insects to eat and as such have a well varied diet that ensures they get every thing that they need to stay healthy. Since culturing a wide variety of insects isn’t feasible for the majority of people supplements are used to meet those dietary needs. In recent years an array of products specific to amphibians and poison dart frogs have become available on the market and are easy to obtain. A few notable products with proven success are listed below. One very common mistake keepers make is using multiple products from different manufactures. This is not ideal as each manufacture has a ratio as to what amounts of each ingredient is used for a set schedule. Overlapping brands can lead to overdosing an ingredient and in turn prevent optimal uptake of each vitamin. Manufactures will state on the bottle what schedule to adhere to and you should do exactly that (not what someone on facebook says).

Day to day care of the poison dart frog

Feeding your poison dart frog is as simple as tapping some flies out of the culture into a cup, adding in a pinch of supplement and shaking them around to cover them with the powder. Average 20-30 flies per feeding, if flies still remain after a day slightly cut back on the amount. Dump covered flies into the vivarium and allow the frogs to hunt and be active chasing around their food. Exercise and the natural instinct to chase prey is healthy. Adult frogs should be fed every other day allowing them to fully digest and pass their latest meal. Young frogs can be fed every day. A super fat frog is no more healthy that a human in that instance, no matter what the woke mob says its better to maintain a healthy weight.

Humidity is the most important factor in a thriving environment for dart frogs. Maintain a relative humidity of 75-85% is ideal and will ensure that your frogs skin does not dry or remain too wet that can cause harmful bacteria.

Temperature is maintained by the vivarium and the over all room temperature. Heat lights, heat pads or other heating devices are Not recommended.