Does anyone here have poison dart frogs?

[SarahKate]

I have kept reptiles in the past and love lizards, frogs, etc. I've been reading up on these cute little guys (for anyone not familiar, these are the very vividly colored frogs) and have found that their care isn't too complicated and they really aren't poisonous in captivity! I actually saw them when we were at WDW last week (conservation station at AK) and became totally intrigued by them. They're so cute, and very active. Also, you can make their tanks very beautiful so it's not something that would be in a back room, they'd be out in our living room for all to enjoy.

Just wondering if anyone out there has them and what your experience has been like? I think the only part that makes me nervous is maintaining the food supply (culturing my own fruit flies - yikes!).

 

[SarahKate]

Wow, I must be in uncharted territory!!! 18 views and no replies! Maybe I should stick with something simpler.

 

[perdidochas]

I have kept reptiles in the past and love lizards, frogs, etc. I've been reading up on these cute little guys (for anyone not familiar, these are the very vividly colored frogs) and have found that their care isn't too complicated and they really aren't poisonous in captivity! I actually saw them when we were at WDW last week (conservation station at AK) and became totally intrigued by them. They're so cute, and very active. Also, you can make their tanks very beautiful so it's not something that would be in a back room, they'd be out in our living room for all to enjoy.

Just wondering if anyone out there has them and what your experience has been like? I think the only part that makes me nervous is maintaining the food supply (culturing my own fruit flies - yikes!).

Unless they culture them in captivity, please just leave them be.

 

[SarahKate]

Oh no, I am not talking about getting them from the wild! First off, I would have to travel to Central/South America to do this. I am talking about captive bred and raised dart frogs bought from a very reputable place.

By culturing, I meant the wingless fruit flies, not the frogs.

 

[perdidochas]

Oh no, I am not talking about getting them from the wild! First off, I would have to travel to Central/South America to do this. I am talking about captive bred and raised dart frogs bought from a very reputable place.

By culturing, I meant the wingless fruit flies, not the frogs.

Culturing the fruit flies would be a pain. Do they eat other things, like say, mealworms?

 

[SarahKate]

Unfortunately they don't eat mealies....crickets (smaller ones), flour beetles, fruit flies. You can also feed them termites and ants found outside, but that makes me a little nervous. Has to be something live and moving.

I can get the smaller crickets around here, so that is a possibility. I don't recall seeing the flour beetles though. I guess these little guys can eat quite a bit, so that's why they recommend culturing fruit flies because it's less expensive and you don't have to go out and buy food all the time. I know they can't fly, but there is still a part of me that cringes just a bit. All the websites say it's pretty easy, but still. You can buy the medium already made, so that part would be easy (this is the stuff you put in the container that feeds them and gives them the right type of environment).

All the other parts of their care I can handle....the food is the only part that makes me nervous. I don't want to do it unless I'm totally sure.

What kind of creatures do you have/had?

 

[perdidochas]

Unfortunately they don't eat mealies....crickets (smaller ones), flour beetles, fruit flies. You can also feed them termites and ants found outside, but that makes me a little nervous. Has to be something live and moving.

I can get the smaller crickets around here, so that is a possibility. I don't recall seeing the flour beetles though. I guess these little guys can eat quite a bit, so that's why they recommend culturing fruit flies because it's less expensive and you don't have to go out and buy food all the time. I know they can't fly, but there is still a part of me that cringes just a bit. All the websites say it's pretty easy, but still. You can buy the medium already made, so that part would be easy (this is the stuff you put in the container that feeds them and gives them the right type of environment).

All the other parts of their care I can handle....the food is the only part that makes me nervous. I don't want to do it unless I'm totally sure.

What kind of creatures do you have/had?

I used to teach science, and one experiment we did (on the nutritional value of different cereals) was to grow meal worms in them. We did another experiment having to do with flour beetles. Flour beetles are fairly easy to grow--almost as easy as mealworms.

I just have two cats, two dogs, and fish. I've never tried to raise anything more exotic.