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Dendrobates auratus 'Highland Bronze' (Captive Bred)

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$69.99

4.8 out of 5 stars

 (11)

About This Product

Defining Characteristics: 

  • Great beginner frog
  • Bright green to blue and bronze coloration
  • Moderately bold
  • Very easy to breed
  • Quiet call
  • Large
  • Can be kept in groups

Name: Dendrobates auratus 'Highland Bronze'. Commonly called the Highland Bronze Poison Dart Frog, the Mint dart frog (not to be confused with the mint form of Phyllobates terribilis), or Highland auratus. Simply calling the species 'auratus' is fairly common, as well.

Recommended Vivarium Size: A 10 gallon aquarium is suitable for a single Dendrobates auratus 'Highland Bronze', but Josh's Frogs recommends a 20H or 18x18x18 Vivarium for 1-3 frogs. Auratus will not climb as much as other varieties of dart frogs, and prefer a horizontally oriented tank. Highland Bronze auratus seem to appreicate a water feature, such as a small pond. Not sure how to set up a vivarium? Please watch our video on How to Set Up a Vivarium.

Temperature: They can tolerate a temperature range of 65 F to 85 F, but prefer temperatures in the low to mid 70s. Temperatures over 85F are dangerous. Based on their reported elevation, one could assume that Highland Bronze auratus would prefer cooler temperatures, but we have not witnessed anything to suggest this in captivity.

Humidity: Like most poison dart frogs, auratus prefer a humidity range of 70 – 100%, but can tolerate humidity down to 50% for short periods of time if the frogs have access to water. Low humidity levels, especially without access to water, can quickly be fatal to Dendrobates auratus 'Highland Bronze'. Auratus in particular seem to enjoy a wetter environment and higher ambient humidity levels vs other species of poison dart frogs, and will be more active in a more humid environment, especially when provided with a water feature. In the wild, auratus are commonly found in association with streams.

Size: Adult female Highland Bronze auratus are larger, measuring in at approximately 1.5 inches. Male Highland Bronze Auratus are a bit smaller, averaging about 1.25 inches at maturity. All of the Dendrobates auratus 'Highland Bronze' froglets Josh's Frogs sells are well started juveniles, and measure at least 5/8” long.

Age: Dendrobates auratus 'Highland Bronze' is capable of living well over 20 years in captivity under ideal conditions, although a lifespan of 10 years is more common. I had a friend who had a pair of auratus still breeding after keeping them for 27 years, and they were wild caught adults when he received them in the early 1990s! In the wild, it is thought that auratus may live 4-6 years. All Highland Bronze Auratus for sale at Josh's Frogs are well started juveniles, and are 2-3 months old.

Feeding: Like most poison dart frogs, Highland Bronze auratus poison dart frogs prefer smaller foods. All of the Highland Bronze auratus dart frogs Josh's Frogs sells will readily eat Drosophila melanogaster fruit flies. Adult Dendrobates auratus 'Highland Bronze' will readily consume Drosophila hydei fruit flies and pinhead crickets. All ages of poison dart frogs will enjoy springtails and isopods. All feeder insects should be dusted with a vitamin/mineral supplement. For more information on what poison dart frogs can eat, please visit our How-To Guide on Feeding Poison Dart Frogs.

Sexing: Dendrobates auratus 'Highland Bronze' is not sexable until 10-12 months of age, and even at that age visual sexing is very difficult. Male auratus tend to be smaller than females, which often appear both longer and wider. Males also tend to have wider front toe pads and a less defined back arch than females. Josh's Frogs sells 2-3 month old juvenile Highland Bronze auratus that are not sexable unless otherwise noted. For more information on sexing poison dart frogs, please visit our How-To Guide on Sexing Poison Dart Frogs.

Color/Pattern: A typically Highland Bronze poison dart frog, Dendrobates auratus 'Highland Bronze' can be very variable. Varying amounts of black constrasts nicely will a bright green blue, or somewhere inbetween. As Highland Bronze auratus age, their colors often change a bit as well. The intensity of the green or blue can vary a bit. The black pattern typically resembles camo, but occasionally a spot or stripe can make itself apparent. On rare occasions, reticulated individuals pop up. These darker markings generally turn fromo black to gray to a bronze hue in the first 2-3 years of the frogs' life. The transformation is amazing! Josh's Frogs does not recommend, support, or endorse line breeding as we believe this leads to weaker captive animals and nature has done a wonderful job of creating an amazing variation in color and pattern of poison dart frogs already.

Social Behavior: These frogs do well housed in groups their entire life, as long as enough space is provided. Josh's Frogs recommends approximately 10 gallons per frog. As they reach sexual maturity at 10-12 months of age, the social dynamic in a group of Dendrobates auratus may change, and females may eat each other's eggs. Female D. auratus 'Highland Bronze' may fight with each other over a mate. For that reason, many breeders recommend keeping auratus in pairs as adults. In our experience at Josh's Frogs, generally this aggression is minor (generally limited to egg eating), and auratus make a great group frog. Josh's Frogs strongly recommends against housing different species/morphs of dart frogs - for the health of your pets, please avoid mixing! Josh's Frogs recommends purchasing multiple frogs if you are interested in breeding them – this greatly increases the chances of getting a pair.

Breeding: Highland Bronze Auratus are easy to breed. This morph does take a bit to mature, sometimes waiting 2-3 years before breeding. Sometimes they lay egg frequently, only to stop and go months before laying another clutch. Like most Dendrobates, eggs are deposited on a smooth broad leaf, or on a petri dish under a cocohut. Most egg clutches consist of 4-6 eggs. The eggs hatch into tadpoles, which then take 60-80 days to complete metamorphosis into miniature versions of the adults. For more information on breeding and raising poison dart frogs, please visit our How-To Guide on Breeding Poison Dart Frogs.

Natural Range: Dendrobates auratus 'Highland Bronze' is native to Panama, reportedly from the highlands on the east Atlantic Coast, altough this claim has been called into question in recent years. The exact locale of this large form of auratus is unknown.

History in the Hobby: Many different forms of auratus are present in the hobby, predominantly from Panama. Highland Bronze Auratus are unique in their color and pattern changes over their lifespan, and adults are truly striking frogs. Highland Bronze auratus are no longer imported in large numbers. Our animals descend from frogs imported from Germany by Sean Stewart in 1997.

Links of Interest:

Wikipedia entry on Dendrobates auratus

Auratus information on Dendrobates.org

Still not sure if Dendrobates auratus 'Highland Bronze' from Josh's Frogs are the right poison dart frog for you? Read the reviews below and see what other customers are saying!

Shipping

After placing an order containing a live animal, you will receive a scheduling email containing our JotForm scheduling link to schedule your new pet's delivery date.

With this scheduling link, you will be able to schedule your order's delivery up to 30 days in advance. You will be able to choose a date of delivery for Tuesday-Saturday (Saturday arrival depends on the carrier's service availability) with the estimated time of arrival generally being 12pm, or 4:30pm for more rural areas. Overnight lows must be above 40°F to ship directly to you (or above 30°F for FedEx Ship Center pickups) as well as below 90°F by estimated time of arrival.

If you require further assistance, or prefer to talk to one of our Customer Service agents, please feel free to reach out to our [email protected] email or our phone line 1-800-691-8178.

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Customer Reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars

Based on 11 reviews

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5 star reviews

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4 star reviews

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Reviews

Ryan

5.0 out of 5 stars

A+

Beautiful, healthy, & very inquisitive. Colors are exceptional. very pleased with the ammount of activity from them. These are not timid frogs! The coustomer service was exceptional.

Nick

5.0 out of 5 stars

Dart frogs

I ordered two Highland bronze frogs a few months ago, they are growing beautifully. Not only were they packaged with great care they were also stunning with beautiful patterns and colors. Always get your frogs from Josh

Sally

5.0 out of 5 stars

Just DO IT!

I've had 2 of these guys for a few months now and they are such great frogs. It's true they can be a little flighty, but they aren't perpetual hiders. They don't mind my presence too much and hopefully it'll get even better as they continue to get adjusted. They are very healthy and even their baby colors are just beautiful. One is more of a real turquoise and the other is a silvery blue with their black markings. Truly happy with these guys and would recommend them to anyone.

mike

5.0 out of 5 stars

great animals

I have two of these they are doing well and some strange calls even though they are young

David

5.0 out of 5 stars

Very good

Order 4 highland bronze auratus all arrived very well packaged an healthy looking.

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