Dendrobates tinctorius
Dyeing poison dart frog
0 active listings · Amphibians · amphibians
Category
Amphibians
Origin
Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana
About the species
The dyeing poison dart frog (Dendrobates tinctorius) is a terrestrial dart frog in Dendrobatidae. The native range sits on the Guiana Shield: Guyana, Suriname, and French Guiana, with an adjacent northern Brazil fringe in the literature, not the whole country as range. In the field it lives on the humid forest floor, not in the canopy like a tree frog. Adults usually reach about 3–5 cm, females often larger. The bright pattern varies by locality. Wild toxins come from diet; a captive frog is not “the same venom in a tank”.
Origin and distribution
Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana
It occurs naturally in Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana.
Current listings
No active listings.
Care at a glance
Size
Adults usually approx. 3–5 cm; females often larger
Enclosure type
Humid, ventilated, terrestrial, with a leaf-litter floor
Temperature
Day usually approx. 22–26°C; avoid constant heat above about 28°C
Humidity
High, but with air exchange; not a sealed sauna
Furnishings
Litter, leaves, moss, hides, shallow water, and microfauna
Characteristics
Diurnal and terrestrial; bold, territorial, and a small-prey feeder
Care and behaviour
Dendrobates tinctorius needs floor, not gecko height. A typical minimum for a pair is about 45×45×45 cm, wider is better. Ventilation must be real: constant 100% humidity without air movement kills frogs. Substrate is forest soil, leaves, and live microfauna (springtails, small isopods). Shallow water is for bathing and tadpoles, not a swimming pool. Strong UVB does not replace shade and hides.
Food is tiny invertebrates: Drosophila, whiteworms, pinhead crickets, micro-roaches. Adults eat small portions daily. Calcium and vitamins rotate, with care on D3. A large cricket is the wrong prey. In captivity toxicity falls because forest ants and mites are missing — that is not permission to put a frog in a mouth.
The species is diurnal and often bold. Males call and defend sites. Do not mix locality forms “for colour”. Tadpoles are reared separately or in controlled pools; cannibalism can be real.
Good to know
Dendrobates tinctorius is on CITES Appendix II via Dendrobates spp. (Appendices valid 2026-03-05). Wild toxins depend on diet; a captive animal is not a simple match for wild toxicity. The map shows the Guiana Shield, not whole countries as a uniform range. This is not legal advice.