# R. flavovittata Woo Hoo!



## Chris Miller (Apr 20, 2009)

Look what I found crawling around the viv. I'd been pulling eggs from this pair so I was surprised they kept breeding.

This guy looks like he's been out for a month at least. It's the first one to morph out, though I have several pulled tads that are about to morph.




























Parents:


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## poison beauties (Mar 1, 2010)

Very nice. Congrats Chris that is one Ranitomeya I wanted and never did get ahold of. Is it the pic because the first one looks like it has black patterning?

Michael


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## Dancing frogs (Feb 20, 2004)

Very cool!


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## sktdvs (Nov 1, 2010)

gorgeous frogs! congrats!! =)


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## ChrisK (Oct 28, 2008)

Chris Miller said:


> It's the first one to morph out, though I have several pulled tads that are about to morph.


They snuck one past you  Are those the true colors?


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## Chris Miller (Apr 20, 2009)

Thanks everyone. Mike, I'm not clear what you mean?



ChrisK said:


> They snuck one past you  Are those the true colors?


Yeah, those are accurate colors. They adults are a bit more faded than the offspring. They are truly pretty frogs. Under appreciated as far as thumbnails go.


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## johnc (Oct 9, 2009)

Congratz Chris. My pair are the boldest thumbnails I have by far. They're about to get their breeding terrarium.


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## InnoEcto (Jun 28, 2009)

Cool. 
Congrats Chris. Very cool frogs. We think ours are 2 females.
It's hard to tell from the pictures, what kind of dimorphism do yours show?


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## Chris Miller (Apr 20, 2009)

They are awesome frogs and quite bold. 

I see little sexual dimorphism, though of my 8 the most male looking one is obviously very different than the most female looking one. They follow the imitator type dimorphism.


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## johnc (Oct 9, 2009)

Chris Miller said:


> I see little sexual dimorphism


I've got a definite pair and I wholeheartedly agree - they are very subtly different and much harder to sex than imitators. They seem like a stubbier frog to my eye too. This is a female:


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## SmackoftheGods (Jan 28, 2009)

I promised myself that I would stop buying frogs after a few key purchases.... I may have to convince you to let some of these go at Frog Day, though....


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## Julio (Oct 8, 2007)

Congrats Chris, now keep on pumping them out!


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## eos (Dec 6, 2008)

That's awesome! congrats


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## InnoEcto (Jun 28, 2009)

johnc said:


> I've got a definite pair and I wholeheartedly agree - they are very subtly different and much harder to sex than imitators. They seem like a stubbier frog to my eye too. This is a female:


Yeah, our (2) have always shown a very subtle difference in build, leading us to believe they were probbably a pair, but we have never heard calling or observed any breeding behavior. We have recently come to the conclusion that we likely have 2 females.


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## Dendroguy (Dec 4, 2010)

nice thumbnail!!!!!!


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## Dendro Dave (Aug 2, 2005)

Not on my must have list, but very glad to see some success with those.


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## Chris Miller (Apr 20, 2009)

They are really cool frogs - though kinda like Uyama or Robalo pumilio. You have to love thumbs to really appreciate them.

The tadpoles have a really strong egg requesting response. Very interesting to watch.


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## ChrisK (Oct 28, 2008)

Chris Miller said:


> The tadpoles have a really strong egg requesting response. Very interesting to watch.


Really what's it like? Only ones I get to really see are histrionicus which basically flip around like crazy and almost jump out of the water when either a male OR female comes near it, is it like that?


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## Chris Miller (Apr 20, 2009)

That's exactly what it is. Any light vibration on their container or phytotelem and they freak out kind of like a seizure at a dolphin show. I can get them to swim up straws and in between my fingers.

It makes me wonder what other egg feeding species are sympatric with flavovitta. Like they might be some type of cuckoo - though I have seen mine feed eggs to their young. 

I've got a fair amount of other facultative egg feeders (imitator/vanzolinii group) and while I can observe the begging/tickling behavior in their tadpoles, it is much more reserved and generally initiates after the parents have entered the water.

To me it seems like a great way to attract the attention of a male or female frog that isn't its parent and get it to lay some food eggs.

I'll try to get some video. My next step is going to be to throw some flavovittata tadpoles into some empty cans in an actively breeding imitator tank and see if they start caring for the tads. Though I don't think that flavovittata and imitator have an overlap in ranges, they seem like a good analog for potential (unknown to me) species. Usually (25 trials - 3 raised tadpoles), male imitator won't care for new tadpole arrivals unless they are swapped with existing tadpoles (23 trials - 23 raised tadpoles).


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## Azurel (Aug 5, 2010)

Those are some gorgeous frogs......


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## johnc (Oct 9, 2009)

Firstly, I am sorry for not keeping up with Dendroboard since mid December. My flavovittata have been laying consistently for the last 3-4 weeks. Their most recent eggs seem to be developing quite well - just like my experience with imitators, young pairs have a few weeks of "test runs". 



InnoEcto said:


> Yeah, our (2) have always shown a very subtle difference in build, leading us to believe they were probbably a pair, but we have never heard calling or observed any breeding behavior. We have recently come to the conclusion that we likely have 2 females.


This is the second time someone has said that. I have seen and heard my male call many times - it's like a warbling variation of an imitator call, just not quite as loud, but still quite noticeable in the frog room. I've heard calling on and off since the day I got them in October. 

I've also observed courting behavior - the male will call "at" the female and she will follow him around, though I haven't been paying that much attention to this in the last month or so.

There seems to be quite a difference in opinion about how bold these frogs are. Mine appear to be very bold (at least until they started laying eggs - now they spend a lot of time together in laying "bowers").


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## Azurel (Aug 5, 2010)

Man I forgot all about these frogs.....Must write them down to the TOP of the LIST....


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## johnc (Oct 9, 2009)

Well I am now getting tadpoles out consistently.


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## Chris Miller (Apr 20, 2009)

johnc said:


> Well I am now getting tadpoles out consistently.


Awesome! I just found a froglet in with my third pair. Wasn't sure exactly what sex those guys were.


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## johnc (Oct 9, 2009)

Chris Miller said:


> Awesome! I just found a froglet in with my third pair. Wasn't sure exactly what sex those guys were.


Congratz Chris. I've no complaints on my end. Are yours Understory line?

I think I'm going to start pulling tadpoles soon and get the old conveyor belt going!


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## Chris Miller (Apr 20, 2009)

Thanks man. Yeah, they are great frogs. I wish they were a little more popular.


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## johnc (Oct 9, 2009)

Pulled a tadpole from an egg the father seemed to have overlooked. So up to 4 tads on the go now!


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## johnc (Oct 9, 2009)

Just an update on these. I've now got about 10 juveniles going. They seem to grow faster than imitators. What I mean is they morph out at a size that means in less than 3 months they match or nearly match their parents for size.

My male is terrible at transporting. For every 2 eggs he leaves a tadpole behind to die. Sometimes he forgets about the clutch entirely. Have to watch the terrarium like a hawk.


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## Azurel (Aug 5, 2010)

Just added these to my collection.....Amazing little frogs one of my favorites. Quite bold as well would have to say even more then my varaderos.

Thanks for sharing the info John.


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## johnc (Oct 9, 2009)

I agree on boldness, but some other folks think the opposite. I think it must vary from frog to frog.


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## Azurel (Aug 5, 2010)

johnc said:


> I agree on boldness, but some other folks think the opposite. I think it must vary from frog to frog.


Could be I know 2 of the 3 I have will not run from me when I take off the glass lid to the QT tank. They just stay there and look at me, which as fast as they can be is kinda scary not knowing what they are thinking...

Here is a pic of one I got from Chris.


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## johnc (Oct 9, 2009)

Azurel said:


> which as fast as they can be is kinda scary not knowing what they are thinking...


Haha, they're not fast. Vents are fast. Imitators and their relatives are easy to catch and prevent escaping in comparison to vents.


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## marylanddartfrog (Jun 6, 2011)

Awsome,frog looks great


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## Azurel (Aug 5, 2010)

john c said:


> Haha, they're not fast. Vents are fast. Imitators and their relatives are easy to catch and prevent escaping in comparison to vents.


Yea your right in the whole scheme of things they are not that fast comparing the other frogs, they are not as fast as Lamasi either had an escapee this week as soon as I opened the viv almost like he was waiting and had it all planned out. I guess it's a good thing they don't seem to care much about what is going on around them or what I am doing atleast so far.

On a side note.....
Do yours use broms or film canisters? Do you offer both or just canisters for them to lay and deposit? I cannot believe how hard it is to find film canisters.


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## R1ch13 (Apr 16, 2008)

While we are on the speed topic..

The fella whom I bought my female Flav from warned me of their speed and that they were easily one of the fasted frogs hed worked with.

He has worked with many a thumb species so I took note of this claim.

Then when I managed to locate a male from another UK frogger friend of mine, he told me how the little fella bounced up his arm and onto his shoulder while catching him for me.

Needless to say, I am very cautious when feeding, cutting back plants etc

I personally find them faster than all my Imi species by leaps and bounds.

Just my 2 pence worth...

Best wishes,

Richie


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## Frank H (Nov 3, 2005)

Azurel said:


> ....
> 
> I cannot believe how hard it is to find film canisters.


film canisters | eBay

Awesome looking frogs! and great pictures!


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