Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I read something in "Thinking of darts" that dart frogs can swim. How is it even possible, considering their toe design? I would assume they can still drown if their cage is mostly water though.

I think I read an article that D. truncatus will dive into the water when disturbed in its native amazonian habitat. I don't know if anybody has wittnessed that or not.

As for mantellas, I've only been told not to include a large area of water for mine.

Actually, if darts and mantellas did have webbed feet, they'd probably make excellent fully aquatic frogs like Hymencheirus or Xenopus, as their body is very slim and stealthy. Their eyes don't bulge out and would probably be useful for a fully aquatic lifestyle, say, if the niche was open in a few million years.

I don't have mantellas, but all my darts CAN swim. They don't do it deliberately or particularly well, but they can swim when they get dunked inadvertently. It's more like a dash for the nearest egress, but they aren't about to drown. I don't know how far they could swim if plunked in the middle of a large pond, but they can surely swim in a small paludarium pond to the shore when they fall in accidentally. My imitators aren't afraid of water and will dive in on occasion to duck under an overhang in their tiny pond. This is tiny, though. One doesn't need webbed feet to swim. People can swim the English Channel. Cats, dogs, horses, pigs and cattle can swim. I can even swim, but I am more efficient with flippers.
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Patty
Pahsimeroi, Idaho

4 D. auratus blue
5 D. galactonotus pumpkin orange splash back
5 D. imitator
6 D. leucomelas
4 D. pumilio Bastimentos
4 D. fantasticus
4 P. terribilis
4 D. reticulatus
4 D. castaneoticus

I have 7 leucomelas in a 55 gallon. It is a false bottom setup with a small water feature. I keep the water level to where they can't stick their head underwater. I think they can swim to a certain extent, I don't take any chances. There are documented cases especially in Tincs of jealous females drowning other females in water that is too deep. I have seen tanks that have water features six inches deep and more, but I wouldn't ever take the chance myself.

They either need a shallow waterway with rocks and only very shallow fractions of water flowing, or a very deep aquarium section where if they fall into it, they will both be saving themselves by separating and swimming to shore. It's the in between stuff that they can drown each other in if they get in a fight.
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Patty
Pahsimeroi, Idaho

4 D. auratus blue
5 D. galactonotus pumpkin orange splash back
5 D. imitator
6 D. leucomelas
4 D. pumilio Bastimentos
4 D. fantasticus
4 P. terribilis
4 D. reticulatus
4 D. castaneoticus