The document provides information on the management, habitat, enclosure requirements, diet, reproduction and care of the Strawberry Poison Frog. It details temperature, humidity and lighting needs, suitable substrates and plants, feeding schedule, breeding behavior and rearing of offspring.
The document provides information on the management, habitat, enclosure requirements, diet, reproduction and care of the Strawberry Poison Frog. It details temperature, humidity and lighting needs, suitable substrates and plants, feeding schedule, breeding behavior and rearing of offspring.
The document provides information on the management, habitat, enclosure requirements, diet, reproduction and care of the Strawberry Poison Frog. It details temperature, humidity and lighting needs, suitable substrates and plants, feeding schedule, breeding behavior and rearing of offspring.
The document provides information on the management, habitat, enclosure requirements, diet, reproduction and care of the Strawberry Poison Frog. It details temperature, humidity and lighting needs, suitable substrates and plants, feeding schedule, breeding behavior and rearing of offspring.
Humidity %rh 75-100% 75-100% 65-90% 65-90% 75-90% 75-90% 80-100% 80-100% 80-100% 80-100% 85-100% 80-100% Breeding introductions Keep as pairs or developing families year round
4 times 4 times 4 times 4 times 4 times 4 times 4 times 4 times 4 times 4 times 4 times 4 times Feed schedule per week per week per week per week per week per week per week per week per week per week per week per week Habitat This species is distributed throughout the Atlantic versant, humid lowlands and premontane forests in central northern Nicaragua from 0-960 masl (Sunyer and Köhler 2010), south through the lowlands of Costa Rica and north-western Panama, including many of the islands in Bocas del Toro, from 0-495m asl (Savage 2002).
Microhabitat This species is displays a mostly arboreal lifestyle, although terrestrial behaviour is also not uncommon, and usually inhabits epiphytes off of the ground, predominantly bromeliads, where male frogs maintain a territory in which they defend against rival males and also use for courting females. Reproduction occurs within this microhabitat as the tadpoles are transported and maintained within water stored within the plants.
Substrates The substrate for this species should firstly consist of a drainage layer of up to 2 – 3 inches of hydroleca or equivalent, this layer prevents the substrate of enclosure from becoming saturated due to frequency of misting, a membrane material should then separate the drainage layer from substrate unless using a euro style vivarium in which case this applies only to the drainage channel. A substrate consisting of a soil mixture of coir, fine orchid bark and mulched tree ferns works well for most dendrobatid species. Invertebrates such as springtails (Collembola sp.) should be introduced to the substrate when establishing the enclosure, this aims to make the enclosure a bio-active environment. Mixed leaf litter should then be used for the final substrate layer.
Water provision & quality
This species obtains water primarily through it’s environment and not necessarily via a standard water bowl, as the enclosure will be furnished with live plants including bromeliads which are essential for this species, the water filled vases in which the frogs will occupy are where this species will obtain water to maintain hydration. The enclosure will require misting with water at least twice per day to maintain humidity and to ensure that bromeliad vases contain water and to ensure live mosses within enclosure continue to thrive. Water used must be dechlorinated (Carbon filtered or RO), room temperature and be free from any chemicals. Enclosure and Size This is a small species with an average adult SVL of 17 – 24mm between both sexes. An enclosure size of 40 x 40 x 40cm is suitable for a breeding pair whilst larger vivs will allow for the population to grow into a more established family. The vivarium should be densely planted with various tropical plants but predominantly with bromeliads, Neoregelia sp. work very well for this species, if space permits taller enclosures will always be appreciated by this species, this is a very active species which will always make full use of an enclosure. The correct choice and use of live plants enable this species to reproduce naturally within enclosure and to undergo their full life cycle. T5 lighting is required to provide UVB and also to maintain sufficient plant growth, only 6% T5 lighting should be used for this species and the dense live plants will dapple the light within enclosure providing light areas and shade, additional LED lights can be used to increase LUX and aid plant growth further. As this is a small species the dense plants provide climbing areas for periods of activity, additional branching may be used but is not necessary. Although this species will spawn on leaves usually within a bromeliad, additional artificial spawning sites such as plastic film canisters can be added to enclosures to provide additional spawning sites if necessary. As males of this species can be territorial behaviour between males housed together must be monitored and they should be separated accordingly or enclosure size increased if territorial behaviour affects the health of either individual, this is most commonly presented by weight loss. Juvenile frogs that metamorphose within the adult enclosure can be housed within the group but may need removing when reaching maturity.
Diet, feeding schedule & feeding strategy
This species feeds on small insects including fruit flies Drosophila hydei and Drosophila melanogastor , tropical springtails Collembola sp. and aphids Acyrthosiphon sp. Foods must be offered three to four times per week (Mon - Wed – Fri) and dusted with a vitamin and mineral supplement on a minimum of two feeds per week, as the moist/wet environments may lead to supplements washing off feeder insect before frog feeds. The strategy of feeding is to scatter live foods within enclosure, preferably within proximity to the frog, or where the frog is known to inhabit within vivarium (specific plant etc). As this is a diurnal species, feed during daytime hours and they will generally feed continuously and opportunistically throughout the day.
Reproduction Adult males occupy a territory of bromeliads in which they reproduce within and use to rear their tadpoles. To aid successful reproduction this species benefits from being maintained in stable conditions continuously, although an increase in misting schedule (three times per day) may encourage an increase in reproductive behaviour. Males calls from their chosen territory to begin courtship with a female, up 15 eggs are then laid on a leaf within a bromeliad axel, leaf litter of artificial spawning site. These are then cared for by the male, upon hatching the tadpoles are transported individually and placed within a bromeliad vase where they undergo development. The tadpoles are obligate eggs feeders and are fed unfertilised food eggs by the female after the male calls to lead the females to his tadpoles. Metamorphosis is completed after approximately 2 – 4 months and the young are then independent. This species will reproduce year round if conditions are correct, the only way to manage breeding is to separate the sexes.
Sexing There is no distinctive snout to vent size difference between males and females, although females are heavier bodied than males and have a more round/wide body shape. This species can be difficult to sex by eye, only male specimens call, and this is usually heard during daytime hours and can be noted by the presence of an extended vocal sac if not heard, they may also have a patch of discoloured skin on the throat where the skin stretches when calling.
Extended Vocal sac of a male Oophaga pumilio
Incubation
Period 10 - 15 days Temperature 20-25°C °C Humidity 90-100% Media and Spawn must remain within enclosure and undergo parental care. set up Management Signs of fertility should be observed at 3 days, infertile eggs rapidly notes become clouded and white.
Rearing The larvae of this species are obligate egg feeders and therefore must be left within the enclosure to be cared for by parents, as it not possible to raise this species with artificial diets. They will transport them individually to bromeliads within enclosure and provide them with feeder eggs for the remainder of their development. Metamorphoses is completed between 2 – 4 months and froglets begin feeding on small invertebrates such as springtails (Collembola sp) once the tail has been fully absorbed. Besides being restricted to small food items, the care regime for the froglets is the same as for adult specimens. They can remain within the adults enclosure or be removed for separate rearing.
Other This species displays extreme polymorphism throughout it’s wild range, these population in many instances are genetically distinct and in recent years some populations have been proposed as separate species (eg. Oophaga escudo, Oophaga typographica). In captivity specimens of known origin should be properly labelled and managed as such. Differing localities should not be mixed.
References
Savage, J.M. 2002. The Amphibians and Reptiles of Costa Rica: A Herpetofauna between two Continents, between two Seas. University of Chicago Press, Chicago.
Sunyer, J. and Köhler, G. 2010. Conservation status of the herpetofauna of Nicaragua. In: Wilson, L.D., Townsend, J.H. and Johnson, J.D. (eds), Conservation of Mesoamerican Amphibians and Reptiles, pp. 487-509. Eagle Mountain Publishing, Eagle Mountain, Utah.
