Golden Poison Dart Frog (Mint)
Phyllobates terribilis "Mint"
The Mint Morph of the deadly golden poison frog. Features a cold, metallic mint-green coloration while retaining its impressive, robust physique.
Environment
Terrestrial
Humidity
70 - 100 %
Day temperature
21 - 26 °C
Night temperature
18 - 21 °C
UVB
None - Low
Species description
Geographical Origin and Habitat: Endangered species, restricted to a tiny strip of pristine rainforest on the Pacific coast of Colombia. It is a robust terrestrial hunter that relentlessly searches the leaf litter on the damp, shaded floor of the dense rainforest.
Taxonomy and Genetics: The Mint morph displays a metallic, cold pale-green coloration covering its entire body. It is the largest species of poison dart frog, reaching up to 5 cm. In the wild, they possess extremely high levels of batrachotoxin, making them the most toxic vertebrate on Earth. However, captive-bred individuals are completely non-toxic and harmless due to a diet lacking the specific wild beetles they consume to synthesize poison.
Behavior and Habits: Diurnal and terrestrial. Unlike other dart frogs, they are completely bold, highly active, and do not hide from human activity. They are incredibly social and can be housed in large, peaceful groups without the aggressive territorial behavior seen in other species.
Morphology: Adult females are larger and wider than males. Males possess vocal sacs and produce loud, high-pitched chirps during breeding periods.
Care, breeding and tankmates
Terrarium Setup: Requires a spacious horizontal enclosure (minimum 90x45x45 cm for a small group of 3-4 adults). A deep layer of leaf litter (such as oak or magnolia leaves) is essential over a well-draining bioactive substrate. Proper drainage is critical to prevent waterlogged soil, which can lead to bacterial foot rot.
Lighting and Heating: Keep temperatures between 22°C and 26°C. Exposure to temperatures of 28°C or higher can be fatal. Provide a low-level UVB light (2.0-5.0) and moderate visible lighting for live plants.
Humidity and Hydration: Maintain high relative humidity (80-100%) through regular misting. Ensure excellent cross-ventilation to prevent stagnant, foul air, which can cause skin and respiratory infections.
Feeding and Supplementation: Highly voracious feeding habits. Readily consumes larger prey such as fruit flies (Drosophila hydei), small crickets, and hatchling mealworms. Dust all prey items with high-quality calcium and vitamin supplements (containing Vitamin A and D3) at every feeding to prevent metabolic bone disease.
Compatibility: Peaceful and highly social; can be kept in mixed-sex colonies. However, they should not be housed with other species of dart frogs to avoid hybridization or stress, nor with small invertebrates that they might eat.
Health and Common Diseases: Susceptible to heat stroke, bacterial infections from waterlogged substrate, and metabolic bone disease due to lack of supplementation. Never handle them with bare hands; the oils and residues on human skin can cause chemical burns and respiratory distress to the frog.
Geographic Origin and Distribution
Endangered species, restricted to a tiny strip of pristine rainforest on the Pacific coast of Colombia. It is a robust terrestrial hunter that relentlessly searches the leaf litter on the damp, shaded floor of the dense rainforest.
Origin
Selective breeding and cultivarsExtra-Amazon South America
Amphibian profile
- Diet
- Insectivore
- They are voracious eaters, preying on a wide variety of insects, including crickets, fruit flies, and small roaches. In captivity, their diet should be dusted with high-quality vitamin and calcium supplements at every feeding. They require larger prey items compared to smaller dart frog species.
- Life expectancy
- 10-15 years
- The catalog uses 10–15 years as its concise reference range. AmphiBIO v1 instead reports a documented maximum longevity of 8 years for the species. An observed maximum is not the same as a typical expectation: specimen origin, sample size and husbandry conditions can explain differences among sources, so this figure should be read as a recorded limit rather than a promise of survival.
- Adult size
- 5.5 cm
- The catalog's scalar value is 5.5 cm. The AmphiBIO v1 source reports a maximum adult measurement of 4.32 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.
- Lifestyle/Microhabitat
- Terrestrial
- Primarily terrestrial, they require a spacious terrarium with plenty of floor space, leaf litter, and hiding spots. They inhabit lowland tropical forests and thrive in warm, humid conditions. A shallow water feature or heavy misting is necessary for hydration.
- Activity cycle
- Diurnal
- Diurnal and highly active throughout the day. They spend much of their time foraging on the forest floor or terrarium substrate. Providing a bright, well-lit enclosure encourages natural behaviors.
- Sociality
- Gregarious
- They are incredibly bold, active, and social frogs that make excellent display animals. They do well in groups, although minor squabbles over food may occur. Wild specimens are the most toxic vertebrates on earth, but captive-bred individuals lack this toxicity.
- Reproduction
- Oviparous
- Breeding involves the male calling to attract a female, followed by the female laying eggs on a smooth surface like a leaf or petri dish. The male guards and hydrates the eggs until they hatch. He then carries the tadpoles on his back to a larger body of water where they develop.
- Toxicity
- Harmless
- In the wild, Phyllobates terribilis is considered the most toxic vertebrate on Earth, accumulating lethal amounts of batrachotoxin from their diet of specialized beetles. However, captive-bred specimens raised on typical feeder insects completely lack the dietary precursors necessary to synthesize this toxin. Consequently, captive-bred "Mint" morphs are entirely non-toxic, harmless, and completely safe to keep in home vivariums.
- Life stage
- Metamorphosis
- The aquatic tadpoles are omnivorous and grow rapidly, requiring clean water and a protein-rich diet to develop properly. Metamorphs are large compared to other dart frogs and possess voracious appetites, quickly transitioning to eating appropriately sized fruit flies and pinhead crickets. Adult frogs are robust, heavy-bodied, and exhibit striking, uniform mint-green to pale-green coloration, living predominantly on the forest floor.
- Handling tolerance
- Display only
- Direct handling must be minimized and avoided whenever possible, as human skin oils, soaps, and salts can severely damage their delicate, permeable skin. While they are not toxic in captivity, the stress of handling can be detrimental to their health and immune system. If a frog needs to be relocated, gently coaxing it into a clean container or using moistened, powder-free nitrile gloves is the safest and only acceptable method.
- Brumation
- Not required
- Originating from the stable, warm, and highly humid Chocó rainforest of Colombia, this species does not brumate and cannot survive cold temperatures. They require a consistently warm environment year-round, with daytime temperatures ideally between 74°F and 80°F. Significant temperature drops or extended periods of coolness will cause severe metabolic suppression, illness, and potentially death.
- Molting
- Periodic
- Shedding is a vital physiological process for growth and maintaining healthy, permeable skin that facilitates moisture regulation and respiration. The frog typically stretches, yawns, and uses its hind legs to rub and push the old skin forward, which it then ingests to recover lost nutrients. Maintaining high ambient humidity is crucial during this process to ensure the skin sloughs off easily and completely without tearing or sticking.
Image gallery
Licensed images linked to the species or, when marked, to the closest representative taxon.
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