# Blue Foot Leucomelas



## zBrinks (Jul 16, 2006)

I finished their viv over the weekend, and so far, they seem to be digging it! It's really hard to capture the greenish sheen they have in pictures.


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## eldalote2 (Jun 3, 2009)

Hey Zach can we get some more information about the blue foots? This is the first time I have heard about them.

Thanks!


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## zBrinks (Jul 16, 2006)

Sean Stewart has brought them in from Europe a couple times in the past 15-20 years. Apparently, they are fairly difficult to breed. They are just another locale of leucomelas. In person, they're pretty amazing looking.


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## marylanddartfrog (Jun 6, 2011)

Are they for sure another morph or possibly just a color variation?awsome viv by the way


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## marylanddartfrog (Jun 6, 2011)

Fts pics please


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## zBrinks (Jul 16, 2006)

My understanding is that it is thought they represent a different population. They have come into the United States before, but in very small numbers, and have never really 'taken hold' over here.


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## marylanddartfrog (Jun 6, 2011)

zBrinks said:


> My understanding is that it is thought they represent a different population. They have come into the United States before, but in very small numbers, and have never really 'taken hold' over here.





I have heard rumors that a almost red variation of leuc exists( not sure where thought)do you know if that may be true?


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## Shohin (Sep 21, 2011)

Those blue footed leucs are pretty awesome, I must say.

-Troy


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## zBrinks (Jul 16, 2006)

marylanddartfrog said:


> I have heard rumors that a almost red variation of leuc exists( not sure where thought)do you know if that may be true?


 I've seen very orange leucs, but not red ones. It wouldn't surprise me, though - there are a lot of variations in leucs out there (much like D. tinctorius, the differences are just more subtle).


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## eldalote2 (Jun 3, 2009)

Thanks Zach that's what I was looking for! Keep us updated on how these guys do for you. Kinda makes you wonder if you put them in a large heavily planted tank and throw bugs at them every once in a while, but don't look at them too hard if they would do well and reproduce.


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## zBrinks (Jul 16, 2006)

The 18x18x24 exo they're in has a ton of surface area and hiding places. It consists mostly of small limestone boulders with tons of cracks and crevices for them to utilize. I tend to have luck with the other forms of D. leucomelas, so here's hoping they do well for me.

One wall of my frogroom is my 'seasonal wall', where temps vary naturally both from day-night, as well as winter-summer. All of the vivs on this wall are also on their own misting system, so it makes it easy to cycle the darts. My Brazilian Yellow Heads and Fine Spot leucs didn't take off until I started keeping them seasonally. Hopefully it works well for the blue foots.


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## heatfreakk3 (Oct 15, 2008)

Tank looks great Zach. Would you mind explaining how you set up their tank with the limestone boulders? Did you silicone them in place at all? I'm thinking about giving it a try, it looks good.


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## zBrinks (Jul 16, 2006)

Hey Chris,

I just did a typical hydroton false bottom, then put the boulders in place until I liked the way they looked. I used dabs of silicone to bind most of the heavier ones together, but left the top ones disconnected (they act like lids, allowing me to get into the cracks if I ever need to remove a frog). I backfilled some of the area with a bit of long fiber sphagnum, and was pretty happy with the results.


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## Elphaba (Aug 26, 2007)

Hey Zach,

Good luck with these guys! Please do keep us posted on them. =) I'm sorry I missed out on 'em, and would love to see them get established over here.

Best,
Ash


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## puckplaya32 (Jan 6, 2008)

"The leucs do differ in appearance geographically. The standard yellow banded leucs are from Venezuela and the banded leucs are from British Guyana. The green foot bloodline in the USA are ones from Charles Nishihara and a few other iitially imported in the late 1990's. They are actually blue foot leucs that faded to green after a few generations of captive breeding. Currently in the hobby, the ones that are from this line have very little foot color at all, but it is a distinct locale. The small spot leucs are also a distinct locale same with the green banded leucomelas." Sean Stewart


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## zBrinks (Jul 16, 2006)

I know the green foots I'm working with were actually imported into the US in 1995 from Venezuela, and did not display blue feet at all (even the WCs). There pattern differs from the blue foots as well.
I have heard that the 'green foots' in Europe either descended from blue foot animals and lost their colors, or the result of a blue foot x standard leuc cross.


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## Steverd (Sep 4, 2011)

zBrinks said:


> My understanding is that it is thought they represent a different population. They have come into the United States before, but in very small numbers, and have never really 'taken hold' over here.


Good luck with these. 
Hopefully they breed for you and we can have a chance of getting some from you in the future!! (I know I would take some!!  )

Steve


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## fieldnstream (Sep 11, 2009)

Beautiful frogs Zach...somehow I knew you would be getting them! Best of luck with them, if anyone can get them breeding its you.
-Field
P.S. Keep me in mind when you get good froglets


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## Azurel (Aug 5, 2010)

They are sweet Zach......

So "blue foots" are "green foots" before they became green foot? Is that what I am understanding?

I wonder if there is anything that can be supplimented to help keep the blue?...


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## fieldnstream (Sep 11, 2009)

Azurel said:


> I wonder if there is anything that can be supplimented to help keep the blue?...


Maybe????????


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## thedude (Nov 28, 2007)

Zach,
Love the tank and the frogs! Both the blue and the oddly colored, narrow bands they have is pretty awesome looking. Can't wait to see what the offspring look like.


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## zBrinks (Jul 16, 2006)

Azurel said:


> They are sweet Zach......
> 
> So "blue foots" are "green foots" before they became green foot? Is that what I am understanding?
> 
> I wonder if there is anything that can be supplimented to help keep the blue?...


 From what I understand, this may be the case - I've also heard that 'green foots' are the result of blue foot x standard leuc crossing, but I have no way to verify that. I do know that the 'green foot' F1 pair I'm working with are from wild caught animals that came into the US in 1995 from Venezuela, and the wild caughts had green feet, so I believe this is a separate population/locale than the 'green foots' that descended from blue footed animals. Yes, it confuses me as well.


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## thedude (Nov 28, 2007)

Whatever happened with this guy from your 'Green Foot' pair?



zBrinks said:


> Nope, about 5yo F1s. They throw some pretty odd looking offspring every now and then, too.


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## zBrinks (Jul 16, 2006)

He's doing well in a friend's collection. They throw oddballs like that on occasion, but that was the most extreme example thus far. I've got one ootw currently that is solid black on the first 1/3 of it's body.


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## Azurel (Aug 5, 2010)

zBrinks said:


> From what I understand, this may be the case - I've also heard that 'green foots' are the result of blue foot x standard leuc crossing, but I have no way to verify that. I do know that the 'green foot' F1 pair I'm working with are from wild caught animals that came into the US in 1995 from Venezuela, and the wild caughts had green feet, so I believe this is a separate population/locale than the 'green foots' that descended from blue footed animals. Yes, it confuses me as well.


Thanks for the info....I heard the blue foots were a actual locale morph and are guaranteed to not be some cross or hybrid etc...


Good luck with them they are pretty frogs.


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## Gnarly (Mar 3, 2011)

Those are really great looking frogs. Even the spots in the bands look especially nice. Hopefully you have lots of success with these.


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## ConFuCiuZ (Jul 13, 2011)

Very nice frogs indeed. Good to see some the blue footed luecs. Hopefully they would be Readily available just like the standard morph.


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## zBrinks (Jul 16, 2006)

I made a video the other day. I think it shows more of the 'depth' of the tank - it appears much too steep in the pictures of the vivarium.

blue foot leuc - YouTube


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## thedude (Nov 28, 2007)

The tank is definitely bigger then I thought it was. Still love the way it's set up, I'm gonna have to try using boulders more. How old are these guys?


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## zBrinks (Jul 16, 2006)

Sean didn't provide an age, but based on their size, I would guess ~6-8 months.


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