Phyllobates terribilis

In the wild, Phyllobates terribilis is the most toxic vertebrate on the planet – one adult frog contains enough toxins to kill over 100 people! In captivity, this frog is completely harmless, like all poison arrow frogs. These frogs are found near the Pacific coast of Colombia.

In captivity, P. terribilis is a large, bold frog. They can consume much larger prey items than most other dart frogs – adults are capable of eating a ½ inch cricket! They make excellent captives, as long as they are kept below 75F. There are 3 primary 'morphs' available in the US trade: mint, yellow, and orange. Their care is identical, and size varies slightly, with the mint form being the largest, and the yellow form being the smallest.

Phyllobates terribilis can take from 2-3 years to mature, even though frogs breeding at a younger age is not unheard of. Typically, clutches are very large for dart frogs, averaging from 15-25 eggs, with clutches numbering in the 30s not unheard of. These frogs have a loud, trilling call.

Phyllobates bicolor

The second deadliest vertebrate on earth is the wild Phyllobates bicolor, the second of the 'deadly three' dart frogs used by Colombian indians to poison darts. These frogs inhabit the jungles of Colombia, and resemble miniature P. terribilis, being about the size of a Dendrobates leucomelas or D. auratus.

Like other Phyllobates, bicolors can consume larger prey than most other dart frogs. They have a ravenous appetite, and can be quite entertaining to watch. Bicolor are every bit as bold as P. terribilis, and generally are more widely available. There are several forms of bicolor in the hobby, with most being imported from Europe. The two most popular forms are the 'green legged' and 'gold' varieties. The 'gold' bicolor were actually imported originally as P. terribilis, until DNA testing proved otherwise.

Phyllobates bicolor matures a bit quicker than P. terribilis, with breeding possible as early as 10-12 months. Males will emit a loud, trilling call as young as 8 months. Egg clutches are not quite as large as P. terribilis, and typically consist of 10-20 eggs – still large by Dendrobatid standards.

Phyllobates vittatus

Phyllobates vittatus, also known as the Golfo-Dulcean Poison frog, hails from Costa Rica. Unlike the other members of the genus, P. vittatus is known to be a fairly shy animal – with my group at home, they are more often heard (once again, a loud trilling call)that seen. Due to this, and their ability to reproduce like rabbits (clutches of 10-20 eggs every couple weeks year round is not unheard of), Phyllobates vittatus has suffered from boom and bust popularity cycles in the wild. At times in the past, vittatus were so common breeders had trouble giving the frog away. At other times, it was very difficult to locate specimens. Unfortunately, this is a common issue with many of the more prolific species of dart frogs in the hobby, and has resulted in species disappearing from the pet trade altogether.

Like other Phyllobates, vittatus prefers temperatures that are slightly lower than average for dart frogs – temperatures higher than 75F can stress your frogs. To increase your chances of seeing the Golfo-Dulcean Poison Dart Frog in a vivarium, plenty of cover, both in the form of hardscape and plants, and leaf litter should be provided. In the wild, P. vittatus is commonly found near streams and small pools – providing high humidity and a water source will go a long way towards encouraging the frogs to spend more time in the open. 

Josh's Frogs offers COMPLETE Dart Frog Kits, which contain everything you need to keep dart frogs happy and healthy. Josh's Frogs COMPLETE Dart Frog Care Kits include an Exo Terra Glass Terrarium, Vivarium Lighting, Live Terrarium Plants, Fruit Fly Kits, and our Tankless Dart Frog Kits. Josh's Frogs COMPLETE Dart Frog Kits come with instructions, and make caring for dart frogs easy and enjoyable. Additionally, by purchasing a Josh's Frogs COMPLETE Dart Frog Kit, you save money!

Know you want a dart frog, but not sure where to start? CLICK HERE to read a helpful article that will get you started, and provide you with all the information you need to start off on the right foot. 

All Frogs listed below are at least 2 months out of the water. Frogs are shipped via FedEx Priority Overnight and shipping usually runs $20-$60 depending on your zip code. To get a shipping quote, simply open up the page for one of the frogs and click on "shipping estimator".

Frog of your dreams momentarily out of stock? Simply open up the page for the frog you're interested in, click "Sign in to get notified when this product is back in stock" and enter your email. You will be emailed when we have more healthy, captive bred frogs of that type ready to go! At Josh's Frogs, we breed all of the dart frogs we sell ourselves in order to insure the healthiest captive bred frogs possible, so availability will vary.