Phyllobates vittatus
The Golfodulcean poison frog (Phyllobates vittatus) is a small species of Central American Dendrobatid. Its name is derived from its natural range of the Golfo Dulce (and wider Puntarenas) region of Southwest Costa Rica. Although reasonably abundant in the wild, its restricted range and threats of deforestation across that region of Costa Rica have led the species to be labelled “Vulnerable” by the IUCN. Although the species has been bred in captivity for many years, it is only now becoming frequently available in the UK as captive-bred individuals are now imported from Europe in large numbers. Being a Phyllobates species, it belongs to a genus of the most toxic animals on Planet Earth, however, in captivity, this species loses its toxins. In the wild, vittatus is far less toxic than other members of the genus. It was also split from being considered synonymous with the Lovely poison frog (Phyllobates lugubris) that inhabits the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica but has a similar appearance with less defined patterns.
The Golfodulcean poison frog is small, rarely exceeding 3cm in length. Both males and females possess striking colours of blue legs and flanks, with strong orange or yellow dorsal stripes. They can make excellent pets providing they are given an appropriate setup. A large 60x45x60 glass terrarium can house a trio of adults, but it must be heavily planted to create visual barriers for the frogs. In the wild, Golfodulcean poison frogs inhabit moist and wet forests at low elevations. In some cases, these regions will become waterlogged and thick layers of leaf litter provide safe passage between plants. Whilst it’s unadvisable to flood a captive terrarium, a solid inch of leaf litter should be provided. Whilst all Dendrobatids will benefit from organic leaflitter in their terrarium, P. vittatus is especially fond of rotten logs, decaying leaf litter and seasonal floods.
Like many Dendrobatids, this species should be maintained at 20°C – 24°C. Much higher than 26°C can become dangerous and Phyllobates species are notoriously sensitive to higher temperatures. Despite this, they are a reasonably straightforward species to care for and will readily breed in captivity, making them excellent beginner “dart” frogs. They should be fed golden fruit flies, Hydei fruit flies and pinhead crickets dusted with appropriate supplementation. These frogs are also diurnal and despite occupying densely vegetated forest floors, will be exposed to some UVB and is categorised as a Ferguson Zone 1 animal.