Phyllobates Terribilis "Orange Blackfoot" Care Guide

Housing Requirements

• Terrarium Size: 18x18x24 Exo Terra or similar minimum for a pair; a 24x18x18 or larger footprint is better for a group of 3–5, since these frogs use the ground and low structure heavily
• Tank Mates: Best kept as a same-species group of 2–5. Terribilis do well together when the enclosure is large enough and food is plentiful; do not mix with other dart frog species
• Temperature: 72–78°F (22–26°C) during the day, 68–72°F (20–22°C) at night. Avoid sustained temperatures above 80°F
• 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

• ABG mix (Atlanta Botanical Garden mix) over a false-bottom drainage layer, topped with leaf litter and sphagnum moss
• Bioactive setup with springtail and isopod cultures seeded in — they process waste and provide microfauna snacks for froglets
• Live plants (broms, pothos, low ferns) for cover, plus cork flats and coco huts at ground level; terribilis use the floor of the enclosure, not the canopy
• A shallow water feature or film-canister style pool for tadpole transport; keep any standing water shallow and clean, as terribilis do not swim well

Diet & Feeding

• Hydei fruit flies as the staple — terribilis take larger prey than most dart frogs, and melanogaster alone will not keep an adult in weight
• Variety: small crickets (pinhead up to 1/4"), small dubia roaches, isopods, and aphids; springtails as a first food for froglets
• Dust prey at nearly every feeding with a quality calcium plus D3 supplement, and rotate in a vitamin A supplement per label directions
• Feed adults 4–5 days a week; feed juveniles daily

Breeding

• Sexual maturity around 12–18 months; females are larger and heavier-bodied, males are the ones that call
• Provide a coco hut with a petri dish or a smooth leaf as an egg deposition site
• Clutches are small — typically under 20 eggs — laid on land; the male tends and moistens the clutch, then carries hatched tadpoles to water on his back
• Pull eggs to individual cups with a shallow layer of dechlorinated water, or leave the male to transport in a well-planted bioactive tank; tadpoles are cannibalistic and must be reared individually
• Froglets morph out large for a dart frog and take hydei fruit flies from day one

Special Notes

• Terribilis males call LOUDLY — a clear, bird-like trill audible across a room. This is normal, not a distress signal, and is unusual for a dart frog
• Bold and day-active: this is the dart frog you will actually see. They rarely hide and often beg at the glass when food is due
• Captive-bred terribilis are non-toxic — batrachotoxin comes from wild dietary alkaloids they do not get on fruit flies and crickets — but still practice clean, gloved handling and wash hands after any tank work
• Handle only when absolutely necessary for medical care or moving
• Quarantine all new animals for 30+ days