DYEING POISON ARROW FROG

“BAKHINUS NORTH” — Quick Care Guide

Scientific Name: Dendrobates tinctorius
Adult Size: Approx. 4.5–6 cm | Lifespan: 10–15+ years | Activity: Diurnal

📏 SIZE

• Adults generally reach around 4.5–6 cm.
• Females are usually larger and broader than males.
• Juveniles are very small and require appropriately tiny prey.

🏠 HOUSING

• Keep in a secure, well-ventilated tropical vivarium.
• For a pair, around 45 × 45 × 45 cm minimum; larger is preferable.
• Provide a deep drainage layer, suitable tropical substrate and plenty of leaf litter.
• Add live plants, cork, roots and sheltered areas.
• Fine ventilation mesh is important to prevent fruit flies escaping.
• A bioactive setup with springtails is highly beneficial.

🌡️ TEMPERATURE

• Day: 22–26°C.
• Night: 20–22°C.
• Avoid prolonged temperatures above 27–28°C.
• Never allow the vivarium to overheat.
• Monitor temperature at frog level.

💡 LIGHTING

• Provide a natural 10–12 hour day/night cycle.
• Good-quality LED lighting is ideal for plants and general illumination.
• Low-level UVB can be beneficial when correctly positioned.
• Always provide shaded areas where frogs can retreat from the light.

💧 HUMIDITY

• Aim for approximately 70–90%, with natural fluctuations.
• Mist regularly using dechlorinated or RO water.
• The substrate should remain moist but never waterlogged.
• Good airflow is essential to prevent stagnant, mouldy conditions.

🦟 FOOD

• Feed small live prey such as fruit flies (Drosophila) and springtails.
• Juveniles require very small prey and more frequent feeding.
• Adults are generally fed small amounts regularly, rather than large meals.
• Gut-load feeder insects before feeding.
• Dust prey with an appropriate calcium/vitamin supplement.
• Remove excessive uneaten prey if necessary.

💦 WATER

• Provide access to clean moisture through misting and damp surfaces.
• A very shallow water dish may be provided.
• Never provide deep water — these frogs are poor swimmers and can drown.
• Use dechlorinated or RO water for misting and drinking areas.

🐚 SHEDDING

• Frogs shed their skin regularly.
• Most will consume their own shed.
• Stable humidity and hydration help ensure normal shedding.
• Do not attempt to remove shed skin manually.

🤲 HANDLING

• Handling should be avoided wherever possible.
• Their skin is extremely delicate and easily damaged.
• If relocation is necessary, use a clean container rather than handling directly.
• Never handle after using soaps, creams, hand sanitiser or chemicals.

❤️ HEALTH

• Healthy frogs should be alert, active during the day and have a good feeding response.
• Watch for lethargy, weight loss, abnormal skin, swelling or difficulty moving.
• Excessive heat, poor hygiene and contaminated water can cause serious problems.
• Contact an exotic/amphibian veterinarian if illness is suspected.

🧹 CLEANING

• Remove faeces, dead insects and spoiled food regularly.
• Keep water containers clean.
• Remove heavily contaminated leaf litter when necessary.
• Do not completely strip an established bioactive enclosure.
• Avoid household cleaning chemicals and pesticides around the vivarium.

🏡 BEFORE YOU BRING YOUR ANIMAL HOME

✓ Secure tropical vivarium
✓ Drainage layer and suitable substrate
✓ Thick leaf-litter layer
✓ Live plants and natural hides
✓ Temperature checked and stable
✓ Hygrometer installed
✓ Safe misting water prepared
✓ Fruit fly culture established
✓ Calcium/vitamin supplement available
✓ Bioactive clean-up crew established

⚠️ IMPORTANT BITS

• Temperature control is critical — overheating can be fatal.
• Captive-bred Dyeing Poison Dart Frogs are not considered dangerously toxic under normal captive conditions; their natural alkaloid defences are obtained through their wild diet.
• Never use tap water containing untreated chlorine/chloramine.
• Do not allow the enclosure to become stagnant or permanently waterlogged.
• Do not mix different Dart Frog species or localities/morphs without specialist breeding knowledge.
• Keep fruit flies and other tiny feeder insects contained.
• These are display animals rather than handling pets.