Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have seen many people keep D. Auratus with azures,leucomelas, tincs, and more, but some say they won't keep them together (excluding the hybrid factor). I have a pair of adult D. Auratus, and I am looking to add another pair of frogs. Territory should not be a problem becuase the tank is rather large with many places to hide.
Someone set me strait: what dart frogs are compatable with D. Auratus (if they are all adult, similar size, etc)? Should I worry about having two pairs (even number of males and females?) or should I definatly have more females, even if they are different species? Share your experiances with keeping compatable dart frogs.
-Sean

Sean,
I really don't think you should exclude the hybrid factor.

Rich

www.fryebrothersfrogs.com

I will not be breeding any of them or similuating breeding conditions. I do not believe in hyrbidyzation. None of my pairs have mated under current conditions, so I am not worrying about it. If I hear calls or notice courtship (which I haven't and dont plan to) I will intervine. I wouldn't introduce leucomelas or anything that is known to breed and produce hybrids with auratus. Do you have any suggestions in what I could keep together that wouldn't interbreed/compete/fight?
-Sean

Sean,
There are certain arboreal species of Darts that CAN be kept with ground dwelling species of Darts. This does not mean they SHOULD be kept together. If you absolutely know the state of health of every frog (meaning at the VERY least fecals) , and can create an environment that will properly house each specie, and you know which specie of arboreal Darts has the same requirements as the ground dwellers you are housing together, and you can make sure that each has the proper food needs met, and...and...and by the way, the proper requirements for humidity , temps, cover, hiding spots, ect. , to make the frogs suited to living healthily , are the same requirements to get them to breed, period. If you are feeding right, and all the other requirements are met, they should /will breed, barring some crazy event.
I would not suggest keeping more than one specie in a viv at a time, for now Sean.

Rich

www.fryebrothersfrogs.com

Alright; I'll stick with auratus in my encloser. I keep a pair of spotted or "six spotted" (panamanian morph I was specifically told); if I were to add other morphs of auratus, such as green/bronze, whatever, to my enclosure, should I have any problems? Any reasons not to do this if they all meet the same requirements or precausions I should take? Thanks for the advice.
-Sean

Sean,
Auratus, like pumilio and tincs, have different sub-species that should not be mixed. Crossing a regina with a powder blue, or a darklands with a bri bri, or a green and black with any other morph of auratus is not generally accepted.

Rich

Rich--you have re-expressed the theme I've been preaching and getting some rather snotty answers about for some time, particularly about mixing them with other Genera of tree frogs. I do not ever say "Never Mix," although I don't do it myself, and I've had some experience with keeping and raising a number of darts species individually. I just think if someone is asking the question, this is automatically too early in the person's experience to consider doing it-- for them. Raising darts separately is such a delight while you keep track of them all and learn their habits first hand. I may consider mixing when the fish in my 180 gallon terrarium die--but they seem determined to out-live my future plans for their home I will inherit if I can manage to outlive them. Even now, I'm not sure what I would mix.

And of course, any situation that will keep a dart frog healthy and alive is a potential breeding situation, and part of the fun is either watching them raise their own tads or doing it yourself. There are so far, only opinions about what should be the ethical rules of raising either hybrids or mixed morphs of a single specie together for the every day hobbyist. As a hobbyist, one can do anything one wants to do with mixing morphs. You can keep a whole housefull of mutts, if you want. Giving away, trading or even selling and representing them as something else is another matter.
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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
2 D. azureus
4 P vittatus