Dart frogs, famed for their vibrant colors and toxicity in the wild, require a carefully considered diet in captivity to thrive. This article addresses the essential aspects of dart frog nutrition, covering suitable food items, feeding frequency, supplementation, and common challenges.
Understanding the Dietary Needs of Dart Frogs
Dart frogs, belonging to the family Dendrobatidae, are naturally microphagus, meaning they consume very small invertebrates. In their natural habitat, they derive their toxicity from specific arthropods and other insects they consume, which in turn acquire toxins from their plant diet. However, captive-raised dart frogs lose their toxicity due to the absence of these specific insects in their diet. Therefore, providing a varied and supplemented diet is crucial for their health and well-being.
Primary Food Sources for Dart Frogs
The cornerstone of a dart frog's diet in captivity consists of small, live invertebrates. Here are some of the most common and suitable options:
Flightless Fruit Flies
Flightless fruit flies are the staple feeder for dart frogs due to their size, ease of culturing, and nutritional value when supplemented. There are several varieties of flightless fruit flies:
- Drosophila melanogaster: These are the smallest fruit flies, measuring about 1/16 inch long. They are ideal for young froglets and smaller dart frog species. Drosophila melanogaster have a quick life cycle, with new flies emerging approximately 14 days after setting up a culture.
- Drosophila hydei: These fruit flies are larger, measuring about 1/8 inch, making them suitable for larger dart frog species. Drosophila hydei have a longer life cycle, taking 21 days or more for new flies to emerge.
- Golden Hydei: Slightly larger than Drosophila melanogaster, Golden Hydei breed faster than Drosophila hydei and have larger clutch sizes.
- Turkish Gliders: These fruit flies are intermediate in size between Drosophila melanogaster and Drosophila hydei. While they produce quickly, they have a tendency to glide, making them less ideal for feeding.
Springtails
Springtails (Collembola species) are tiny soil isopods, approximately 1/32 of an inch long. They serve a dual purpose in a vivarium: they act as janitors, consuming organic material, and they also provide an additional food source for dart frogs, particularly froglets. Temperate springtails are easy to culture and reproduce quickly, making them a valuable addition to any dart frog vivarium.
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Supplemental Food Sources for Dart Frogs
While fruit flies and springtails form the basis of a dart frog's diet, supplementing with other invertebrates provides essential nutrients and variety.
Rice Flour Beetle Larvae
The larvae of confused rice flour beetles (Tribolium confusum) are a nutritious and palatable treat for dart frogs. While adult rice flour beetles can emit an unpleasant taste, the larvae are readily consumed. Rice flour beetle larvae are easy to culture in a media of flour and nutritional yeast.
Black Soldier Fly Larvae
Black soldier fly larvae (BSFL), also known as Phoenix Worms or CalciWorms, are a calcium-rich feeder that can be safely fed as a staple without additional dusting. They also contain high levels of lauric acid, which has antimicrobial properties. Extra small and small BSFL are suitable for dart frogs.
Bean Beetles
Bean beetles are a species of weevil that lay their eggs on black-eyed peas. They are a good source of protein, fiber, iron, and calcium. However, bean beetles contain chitin, which can be difficult to digest, so they should be fed sparingly.
Isopods
Dwarf tropical white isopods are small, soft-bodied invertebrates that reproduce quickly, making them an excellent prey item. They also function as nutrient cyclers in the vivarium.
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Pinhead Crickets
Pinhead crickets (1/16 inch) can be offered to dart frogs, especially larger adults. Crickets should be properly gut-loaded and dusted with supplements before feeding. However, crickets can damage plants and potentially harm frogs if left to roam freely in the vivarium. Finding a consistent supply of appropriately sized crickets can also be challenging.
The Importance of Supplementation
Even the best live food lacks critical nutrients unless it is supplemented. Dart frogs in captivity do not have access to the diverse range of insects they would consume in the wild, making supplementation essential for their health.
Vitamin and Mineral Supplements
Feeder insects should be dusted with a high-quality vitamin/mineral supplement at each feeding. A calcium and Vitamin D3 multi-vitamin, such as Repashy Calcium Plus, is highly recommended. Vitamin A supplementation may also be beneficial, particularly for addressing symptoms of Sticky Tongue Syndrome (STS).
Gut Loading
Gut loading involves feeding feeder insects a nutritious diet before offering them to dart frogs. This enhances the nutritional value of the insects and ensures that the frogs receive a more complete diet.
Feeding Frequency and Quantity
The appropriate feeding frequency and quantity for dart frogs depends on several factors, including age, size, and species.
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Feeding Frequency
While some sources recommend daily feeding, dart frogs can be fed three times a week. At Josh's Frogs, dart frogs are fed on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Skipping a feeding before offering crickets can encourage the frogs to hunt down all the crickets in the habitat.
Feeding Quantity
There is no exact answer to how many fruit flies a dart frog should eat each day. A good approach is to place a small piece of banana in the vivarium to attract loose fruit flies. By observing the number of fruit flies on the banana before each feeding, you can adjust the amount of food accordingly.
- If there are few fruit flies on the banana, feed the same amount as the previous feeding.
- If there are many fruit flies on the banana, skip a feeding or reduce the amount.
- If there are no fruit flies on the banana, increase the amount of food.
As a general guideline, start with 10-15 flies per frog, adjusting as needed based on individual frog's appetite and body condition. Young frogs typically require more frequent feedings.
Common Feeding Challenges and Solutions
Several challenges can arise when feeding dart frogs in captivity.
Escaping Fruit Flies
Problem: Flies escape or crawl out of the tank.
Solution: Use a proper mesh top and only feed what frogs can eat in 10-15 minutes.
Frogs Not Interested in Food
Problem: Frogs aren’t interested in food.
Solution: Try smaller prey (e.g., springtails) or feed at dawn/dusk.
Competition
Keep an eye out for frogs that have a tough time eating in the presence of other frogs. If frogs are not eating enough and a peer is getting the lions share you may need to separate the struggling frog into another enclosure.
Overfeeding
Overfeeding can lead to an overpopulation of fruit flies in the vivarium and potentially cause stress to the frogs. Reduce feeding frequency or quantity if there are excess flies in the tank.
Sticky Tongue Syndrome (STS)
If a frog flicks its tongue but cannot capture prey, it may be a sign of a vitamin deficiency. Providing food items with Vitamin A may help address symptoms of STS.
Culturing Fruit Flies
Culturing fruit flies at home is highly recommended to ensure a reliable and cost-effective food supply. Several factors can affect culturing success, including temperature, mold, humidity, and mites. It is advisable to practice culturing fruit flies before acquiring dart frogs.
General Recommendations
- Anything insect wider than the length of the space between a frogs eyes is a choking hazard. Thus feed insects smaller than that "eye to eye" size.
- We discourage feeding outdoor caught insects as this introduces risks to expose your frogs to parasites, chemicals that the insect was exposed to (fertilizers, herbicides, pesticides, unknown ingested material), etc.
- Unlike many other animals we recommend not replying on "others" such as pet stores to provide your frogs food. Even if you had a reliable resource (which is rare) you would spend a pretty dime in doing so. A culture store bough might run you $6-14 before shipping. A purchased culture will only last a few weeks before it needs to be discarded before it "crashes" (stops producing) or becomes inundated with mites.
- Unlike other animals there is no flake, pellet or other commercial "off the shelf" food product available for dart frogs.