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AmphibianTerrestrialIntermediate
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Dyeing Poison Dart Frog
Dendrobates tinctorius
One of the largest and most brilliantly colored poison dart frogs, native to the Guiana Shield. Active, diurnal, and perfect for well-planted bio-active vivariums.
Class:Amphibia
Order:Anura
Family:Dendrobatidae
Genus:Dendrobates
Species:Dendrobates tinctorius
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Environment
Terrestrial
Humidity
75 - 95 %
Day temperature
22 - 26 °C
Night temperature
18 - 21 °C
Ambient temperature
24 °C
Minimum enclosure
>= 50 L
UVB
Low
Species description
Geographical Origin and Habitat: Widely distributed in the eastern part of the Guiana Shield, encompassing Suriname, French Guiana, northern Brazil, and Guyana. It inhabits the humid floor of primary tropical rainforests, microhabitats characterized by leaf litter, fallen logs, exposed roots, and moss-covered stones. They are terrestrial, rarely climbing more than two meters above the ground.
Taxonomy and Genetics: Belongs to the class Amphibia, order Anura, family Dendrobatidae, and genus Dendrobates. Described by Cuvier in 1797. It is highly polymorphic, with dozens of distinct localized populations displaying unique color patterns (known as morphs, e.g., 'Azureus', 'Alanis', 'Patricia', 'Citronella'). Captive breeding must maintain clean bloodlines to avoid mixing morphs.
Behavior and Habits: Diurnal, bold, and highly active. Unlike many other amphibians, they are not particularly shy and spend their day foraging for tiny insects. Both sexes, but especially females, display territorial behavior and will engage in physical wrestling matches to defend territory or secure mates.
Morphology: One of the largest poison dart frog species, with adult females reaching sizes of 4.5 to over 6 cm (1.8-2.4 inches). The skin is smooth and secretes toxic alkaloids in the wild (which are lost in captivity due to diet changes). Coloration varies by morph, showcasing brilliant combinations of blue, yellow, black, and white in stripes or spots.
Care, breeding and tankmates
Terrarium Setup: A horizontally oriented or cubic enclosure is preferred. A minimum size of 60x45x45 cm (24x18x18 inches) is recommended for a pair. A bio-active setup with a drainage layer, moist tropical soil covered with leaf litter (oak or magnolia leaves), coconut shell hides, and live plants like Bromeliads, Pothos, and ferns is ideal.
Lighting and Heating: Being forest floor dwellers, they do not tolerate high heat. The ideal temperature range is 22-26°C (71-79°F) during the day, dropping to 18-20°C (64-68°F) at night. Temperatures exceeding 28°C (82°F) can be fatal. Moderate LED lighting for plant growth is sufficient; low-level UVB (2.0) is highly recommended.
Humidity and Hydration: Humidity must be kept high, ideally between 80% and 95%. Mist the enclosure 2-3 times daily with reverse osmosis or dechlorinated water. The substrate should be moist but never soggy or waterlogged, as poor drainage causes foot rot. These frogs do not swim and can drown in deep water.
Feeding and Supplementation: Feeds on live micro-insects. The staple diet in captivity consists of flightless fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster and D. hydei), springtails, isopods, and pea aphids. Dust all feeder insects at every feeding with a high-quality calcium and multivitamin supplement, including Vitamin A.
Compatibility: Best kept in established male-female pairs. Avoid keeping multiple females together as they are aggressive and will stress each other. Never mix different morphs or other dart frog species in the same enclosure to prevent hybridization and stress-induced health issues.
Health and Common Diseases: Highly vulnerable to dehydration and heat stress. Poor sanitation can lead to bacterial or fungal skin infections (such as chytrid fungus). Short Tongue Syndrome, caused by vitamin A deficiency, prevents them from catching food. Ensure supplements are fresh and stored properly.
Geographic Origin and Distribution
Widely distributed in the eastern part of the Guiana Shield, encompassing Suriname, French Guiana, northern Brazil, and Guyana. It inhabits the humid floor of primary tropical rainforests, microhabitats characterized by leaf litter, fallen logs, exposed roots, and moss-covered stones. They are terrestrial, rarely climbing more than two meters above the ground.
Origin
Selective breeding and cultivarsAmazon, Orinoco, and Guianas
Amphibian profile
- Diet
- No verified data available
- Life expectancy
- No verified data available
- Adult size
- 5 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 5 cm. The AmphiBIO v1 source reports a maximum adult measurement of 5 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.
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