Encyclopaedia
AmphibianTerrestrialIntermediate
©AI Generated·Proprietary
Splash-backed poison frog Moonshine
Adelphobates galactonotus "Moonshine"
A rare and deeply captivating color morph featuring a glowing silver-white dorsal back that beautifully contrasts with its solid jet-black sides.
Class:Amphibia
Order:Anura
Family:Dendrobatidae
Subfamily:Dendrobatinae
Genus:Adelphobates
Species:Adelphobates galactonotus "Moonshine"
Share
Check out Splash-backed poison frog Moonshine on Atlarium
Environment
Terrestrial
Humidity
70 - 100 %
Day temperature
20 - 26 °C
Night temperature
18 - 21 °C
UVB
None - Low
Species description
Geographical Origin and Habitat: Adelphobates galactonotus is native to the southern Amazon basin in Brazil, specifically found in the states of Pará, Maranhão, and Tocantins. It inhabits warm, humid lowland tropical rainforests, spending most of its time on the forest floor among dry leaf litter and decaying wood. The 'Moonshine' color morph is a captive-bred mutation that has been selectively isolated, characterized by a genetic reduction of warm yellow/red pigments.
Taxonomy and Genetics: Belonging to the family Dendrobatidae and the genus Adelphobates. Previously classified under the genus Dendrobates, the species galactonotus was moved to Adelphobates in 2006. The 'Moonshine' morph is a recessive genetic mutation that alters carotenoid synthesis, replacing the wild-type's bright yellow, orange, or red dorsal 'splash' with a solid silver-white or translucent cream color.
Behavior and Habits: Diurnal and terrestrial. Compared to some other poison dart frogs, it can be slightly shy initially, spending time hidden beneath dry leaves or inside hollow cork logs. However, it becomes bolder and highly visible once acclimatized to a quiet, densely planted terrarium. Males call with a soft, buzzing sound and show moderate territorial defense during breeding.
Morphology: This is a medium-sized dart frog, with adult specimens reaching lengths of 3.5 to 4.0 cm. It features a robust, slightly flattened body shape. The defining feature of the 'Moonshine' morph is its dorsal coloration: a solid, clean silvery-white or pale cream patch covers the entire back, looking as if it is illuminated by moonlight. This light dorsum contrasts sharply with the jet-black color of its limbs and belly.
Care, breeding and tankmates
Terrarium Setup: Requires a tropical forest terrarium measuring at least 45x45x45 cm for a pair or a small trio. The substrate must consist of a clay ball drainage layer, a separator mesh, and a soil-peat mixture, topped with a thick, clean layer of oak leaf litter and moss. Furnish with cork bark tubes, climbing branches, bromeliads, and broad-leafed plants like Philodendron.
Lighting and Heating: Requires slightly warmer temperatures than other dart frogs, with a daytime range of 24°C to 28°C (75-82°F). At night, the temperature should drop to 21-22°C (70-72°F). A 2.0 or 5.0 UVB linear bulb is recommended for 10-12 hours daily to facilitate vitamin D3 synthesis and calcium metabolism, along with LEDs for live plants.
Humidity and Hydration: Maintain high humidity levels between 80% and 90%. Mist the enclosure twice daily using reverse osmosis (RO) water. Avoid deep water dishes as these frogs cannot swim well. A shallow plastic lid or petri dish filled with a few millimeters of clean water is perfect for hydration, or use water collected in bromeliad axils.
Feeding and Supplementation: Insectivorous. In captivity, feed them flightless fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster and D. hydei), springtails, pea aphids, and dwarf tropical isopods. Dust all prey items at every feeding with a high-quality calcium, vitamin D3, and vitamin A powder supplement to prevent nutritional deficiencies and bone disorders.
Compatibility: Can be kept in pairs or small groups of 3-4 frogs. Females of this species are generally less aggressive toward each other than D. tinctorius, but close monitoring is still required to detect any bullying. Do not house with other species of frogs or other color morphs of A. galactonotus to prevent cross-hybridization.
Health and Common Diseases: Vulnerable to metabolic bone disease (MBD) due to calcium deficiencies and bacterial skin infections if the substrate becomes soggy and waterlogged. Prevent organic waste buildup and use only chlorine-free water to protect their permeable skin from toxic shock syndrome.
Geographic Origin and Distribution
Adelphobates galactonotus is native to the southern Amazon basin in Brazil, specifically found in the states of Pará, Maranhão, and Tocantins. It inhabits warm, humid lowland tropical rainforests, spending most of its time on the forest floor among dry leaf litter and decaying wood. The 'Moonshine' color morph is a captive-bred mutation that has been selectively isolated, characterized by a genetic reduction of warm yellow/red pigments.
Origin
Selective breeding and cultivarsAmazon, Orinoco, and GuianasNorth America
Amphibian profile
- Diet
- No verified data available
- Life expectancy
- No verified data available
- Adult size
- 4.05 cm
- Lifestyle/Microhabitat
- No verified data available
- Activity cycle
- No verified data available
- Sociality
- No verified data available
- Reproduction
- No verified data available
- Toxicity
- No verified data available
- Life stage
- No verified data available
- Handling tolerance
- No verified data available
- Brumation
- No verified data available
- Molting
- No verified data available
The catalog's scalar value is 4.05 cm. The AmphiBIO v1 source reports a maximum adult measurement of 4.05 cm for this species, recorded as snout–vent length (SVL). These figures are not interchangeable: the first is the profile's editorial reference, whereas the second is a published maximum under a specific measurement convention; differences among sources can reflect sex, population, life stage and measuring method.
Image gallery
Licensed images linked to the species or, when marked, to the closest representative taxon.
Related species
Recommendations grouped by close relatives, companion choices, and similar care.
