04-03-2015, 01:26 PM
There are three basic 'sizes' of Dart Frog enclosures:
1. Tall(er) / High
2. Wide(er) / Flat or 'long'
3. Cube or complete equal size square
Which do I choose???? What is best for what frog????
Basically, there are roughly two different body shapes and sizes of commonly kept ADULT dart frogs:
1. Tinctorius and 'Tinc type' frogs - These frogs, when fully grown, are large and heavy bodied. Phylobates genus also falls into this category. SELECT AN ENCLOSURE THAT IS MORE 'FLATTER' THAN IT IS TALL.
2. Pumilio and thumbnail - These are smaller bodied and more 'compact' size frogs. SELECT A 'TALLER' TANK.
BOTH categories above WILL climb, especially when young and small. Most dart frogs will also seek to 'roost' up high at night - this is a defense against predators like spiders, scorpions and centipedes all of which prowl the lower layers of leaf litter in the wild. But our frogs are CB and thus 'domesticated' so one would think there is NO need for that defensive roosting behavior right?? Well...it's in the frog DNA. I doubt the built in defense is going to be bred out unless we log in years and years of manipulation like the bearded dragon hobby, but I digress.
So I'm STILL confused! My newly bought small tincs absolutely do like to climb!! I think they will enjoy a high tank!
Tincs and heavy bodied frogs will indeed climb BUT they will utilize the flat and horizontal low surfaces MORE than they will climb. MUCH better to give them the lower, flatter, wider tank.
Smaller bodied frogs will likewise, use the mid to higher reaches of a tank . Now there are ALWAYS exceptions in life. R. reticulatus is a small, tiny frog that seems to utilize the lower leaf litter a BIT more than most frogs of that size.
The point is, if you are new(er) to the hobby and have found this Website, Forum and Thread and are looking for advice from an experienced member who has kept many, many different species of dart frogs, then here it is. The above is my enclosure size and type general recommendation.
Happy Froggin' !
1. Tall(er) / High
2. Wide(er) / Flat or 'long'
3. Cube or complete equal size square
Which do I choose???? What is best for what frog????
Basically, there are roughly two different body shapes and sizes of commonly kept ADULT dart frogs:
1. Tinctorius and 'Tinc type' frogs - These frogs, when fully grown, are large and heavy bodied. Phylobates genus also falls into this category. SELECT AN ENCLOSURE THAT IS MORE 'FLATTER' THAN IT IS TALL.
2. Pumilio and thumbnail - These are smaller bodied and more 'compact' size frogs. SELECT A 'TALLER' TANK.
BOTH categories above WILL climb, especially when young and small. Most dart frogs will also seek to 'roost' up high at night - this is a defense against predators like spiders, scorpions and centipedes all of which prowl the lower layers of leaf litter in the wild. But our frogs are CB and thus 'domesticated' so one would think there is NO need for that defensive roosting behavior right?? Well...it's in the frog DNA. I doubt the built in defense is going to be bred out unless we log in years and years of manipulation like the bearded dragon hobby, but I digress.
So I'm STILL confused! My newly bought small tincs absolutely do like to climb!! I think they will enjoy a high tank!
Tincs and heavy bodied frogs will indeed climb BUT they will utilize the flat and horizontal low surfaces MORE than they will climb. MUCH better to give them the lower, flatter, wider tank.
Smaller bodied frogs will likewise, use the mid to higher reaches of a tank . Now there are ALWAYS exceptions in life. R. reticulatus is a small, tiny frog that seems to utilize the lower leaf litter a BIT more than most frogs of that size.
The point is, if you are new(er) to the hobby and have found this Website, Forum and Thread and are looking for advice from an experienced member who has kept many, many different species of dart frogs, then here it is. The above is my enclosure size and type general recommendation.
Happy Froggin' !
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