Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I've kept White's treefrogs, a chubby frog, and various Rana (now Lithobates) before. I'm looking into getting a couple of dart frogs sometime. I really like the terribilis and my wife likes azureus a lot. Is either of them a decent dart frog for a beginner? Are there any good sites for dart frog care information?

thanks
Owen.

I think Azureus is a great beginner frog. Go to www.saurian.net that is where I get most of my info and alot of my frogs.

Hope that helps....

Either P. terribilis or the D. azureus, which is now considered a color morph of tinctorius, are very good beginner dart frogs. The P. terribilis get along well in groups, while the D. azureus are territorial and are best kept in mated pairs or as single frogs. Some people keep two males and a female together, since it is usually the females that are resentful of other females. Both are delightful frogs to watch. P. terribilis in particular, are extremely bold, and have the charming habit of recognizing the "food guy," looking straight up at you, and sometimes leaping up toward the food source. One of mine actually latched onto my nose once, albeit temporarily, when I was peering in telling them how cute they were, rather than feeding them immediately. I tend to tease them a little, just because their reactions are so funny, and they think they are so tough. In my experience, the P. terribilis needs somewhat cooler temperatures and may decline if the tank gets above 80 degrees for any length of time, while the D. azureus will survive more extreme temperature fluctuations above or below the "ideal," as long as this is temporary.

Saurian has very good care sheets and information, as does Black Jungle. Most breeders that ship frogs will have them. They really don't vary much, over all. Dendroboard has a section on care sheets, as well. We can also help you here with specific questions any time.

You might consider investing in the Professional Breeders Series POISON DART FROGS, by W. Schmidt and F.W. Henkel. Many dart frog breeders carry this book, and to date, it is the most informative of the affordable "hand books" for beginners.
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Patty
Pahsimeroi, Idaho

D. auratus blue, auratus Ancon Hill, galactonotus orange, galactonotus yellow, fantasticus, reticulatus, imitator, castaneoticus, azureus, pumilio Bastimentos. P. lugubris, vittatus, terribilis mint green, terribilis orange.

both are great starters.