Feeling Froggy

Dendrobates Tinctorius "Peacock" Care Guide

Dendrobates Tinctorius "Peacock"

Last updated: September 22, 2026

The Peacock locality of Dendrobates tinctorius originates from the Tumucumaque Mountains region on the northern Brazil / French Guiana / Suriname border, and is a newer arrival in the U.S. hobby. Peacock is a larger tinc form patterned in deep blue and black with warm yellow-to-orange highlights across the head and back. Like all Dendrobates tinctorius, they are terrestrial dart frogs, active during the day, and can live 8-12 years with appropriate husbandry. They lose their toxicity in captivity when fed a commercial diet.

Housing Requirements

  • Terrarium Size: 18 x 18 x 24 Exo Terra or similar minimum for a pair; add roughly five gallons of equivalent volume per additional frog
  • Tank Mates: Best kept as a pair or as one female with two males. Two adult females almost always fight. Watch any group during breeding season and separate animals that get pushed off food.
  • Temperature: 72-78°F (22-26°C) during the day, 65-72°F (19-22°C) at night
  • Humidity: 80-100% relative humidity
  • Lighting: Standard vivarium LED on a 12-hour day/night cycle; UVB is not required, dust prey with a quality calcium plus D3 supplement instead

Substrate & Environment

  • Substrate: Bioactive ABG mix or coco fiber over a false-bottom drainage layer
  • Leaf Litter: Deep magnolia or Indian almond leaf litter, Peacock frogs use the floor heavily
  • Plants: Broms, pothos, philodendron, and other broadleaf plants provide sight breaks and egg-laying surfaces
  • Water Feature: A shallow pool or film canisters at ground level for tadpole deposition; keep water clean and dechlorinated
  • Hides: Coconut huts, cork bark tubes, and leaf cover, even bold frogs use hides

Diet & Feeding

  • Staple: Melanogaster and hydei fruit flies, fed daily
  • Enrichment: Springtails and aphids as small variety items; occasional small isopods or pinhead crickets for adults
  • Supplements: Dust every feeding with a quality calcium plus D3, and rotate in a vitamin A supplement per label
  • Feeding Frequency: Daily for juveniles, once daily or every other day for adults

Breeding

  • Sexing: Males are smaller with wider toe pads; females are larger and heavier through the body
  • Clutch: Typically 2-6 eggs deposited on smooth leaves, in film canisters, or in a petri dish under a coconut hut
  • Tadpoles: Direct-developing, the male transports hatched tads to water. Pull to individual cups on tadpole diet, or leave in-tank; both work
  • Development: Roughly 60-90 days from hatch to morph-out on a standard tadpole diet

Special Notes

  • Very bold, probably the boldest of the tinc locales we keep at Feeling Froggy, expect them out on display rather than tucked away
  • Newer to the U.S. hobby; source only F1 or later captive-bred stock from established breeders
  • Locality-pure: never mix Peacock with any other tinctorius locality
  • Handle only when absolutely necessary for medical care or moving

See live availability + full details at Dendrobates Tinctorius "Peacock" on Feeling Froggy.