First of all, those are gorgeous snakes. I've never gotten into keeping snakes, but do really like them.

Don't worry about asking questions. If anyone gets impatient with it, it's because they have a short memory. We all started at the beginning, and personal answers, sharing experiences, getting different views, feeding back, is so much more satisfying than being told to "do a search," or some such rudeness. Forums are for this purpose, in my opinion.

As for books, here is a list with some comments:

Poison Dart Frogs, (Complete Herp Care) by Amanda Sihler and Greg Sihler, Sept. 2007. I don't have this one myself, but others have declared it is one of the most useful of the affordable books. I believe Greg and Amanda have the Arizona Dendrobatid Ranch in Mesa, Arizona.

Poison Frogs (Success with an Amphibian Pet) William Samples, November 99. I don't have this one, either, but it has been recommended.

Keeping Poison Frogs by Jerry G. Walls. (paperback, 1994) This is useful, although some of the information on the species and availability is out of date. He also published the big coffee table book, Jewels of the Rain Forest-Poison Frogs of the family Dendrobatidae. This is a beautiful, rather expensive picture book, with a lot of information--although as above, somewhat outdated in certain areas.

My own favorite among the "affordable" books, but more expensive than the others above (around $35.00, I think) is the Professional Breeders Series Poison Frogs by W. Schmidt and F.W. Henkel. (2004)

Schmidt and Henkel also collaborated with others on a really interesting tome, which I believe is selling for around $165.00 now. This is Poison Frogs--Captive Care and Husbandry. This is a beautiful book, but includes a rather extensive and still controversial revising of the nomenclature, which can be a bit confusing to those of us used to the old names, and doesn't have an index. It does have some great detailed chapters on building vivariums, and more detailed information on origins, skin toxins, etc.

There are others I have that are of a more esoteric bent, including a 3 volume set of reports, photos and rain forest pictures from an excursion. Dendrobatidae-Poison Frogs-(The fantastic Journey through Ecuador,-Peru-Colombia.) While it has some care advice, it includes only frogs from those countries, so isn't an overview of the entire family. I don't think it's something a beginner would find useful, unless one was a beginner with a big budget and a lot of curiosity.

I hope this helps. Enjoy your leucs, and keep us posted on what's happening.




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Patty
Pahsimeroi, Idaho

Dendrobates: auratus blue, auratus Ancon Hill, tinctorius azureus, leucomelas. Phyllobates: vittatus, terribilis, lugubris. Epipedobates: anthonyi tricolor pasaje. Ranitomeya fantastica, imitator, reticulata. Adelphobates castaneoticus, galactonotus. Oophagia pumilio Bastimentos. (updated systematic nomenclature)

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