Dendrobates tinctorius
Dendrobates tinctorius “Azureus”
Formerly classified as a separate species, azureus is now considered a morph of Dendrobates tinctorius.
Dendrobates tinctorius “Azureus”
Large and small spotted animals may emerge from the same clutch of eggs, regardless of patterning of the parents.
Dendrobates tinctorius “Citronella”
This giant from Surinam is possibly the largest tinctorius morph, and also one of the most sought after.
Dendrobates tinctorius “Regina”
Much confusion abounds with this frog. As the name Regina suggests the frogs originate from around Regina, French Guyana. The first imports to the US originated from Ruud Schouten of Rana, to John Uhern and were marketed by John Uhern as “Giant Orange”. Subsequent imports through different channels kept the name Regina. According to R. Schouten who has seen these animals several times in the wild, these two frogs are one and the same, and the apparent differences between the Giant Orange and Regina lines may be seen side by side in the forest.
Dendrobates tinctorius “Powder Blue”
Dendrobates tinctorius “Cobalt”
Another large Surinamese tinctorius. An excellent choice for beginners!
Dendrobates tinctorius “Yellow Black”
Dendrobates tinctorius Information
Distributed throughout the Guyana shield, Dendrobates tinctorius is the giant of the poison frogs. With perhaps only some Peruvian forms of A. trivittatta rivaling it for size, some reports of wild specimens topping 7cm would confirm tinctorius as the largest poison frog. However not all tinctorius reach these relatively monstrous sizes, with several forms such as the “nominal”, “lorenzo” and “oyapok” forms staying in the 4-5 cm range.
Tinctorius are hardy captives and make excellent vivarium subjects. Their bold nature and the endless variety of beautiful colour morphs have made them a staple of the poison frog hobby for many years. Despite the relative ease of care, it seems that one of the bigger challenges faced by enthusiasts working with tinctorius is growing CB animals to the sizes attained by their wild counterparts. Careful attention to offer a varied diet and proper supplementation, as well as a consistently available food supply will go a long way in successfully raising these frogs.
