# Best beginner dart?



## andersonii85

At the request of Ryan I have decided to start a poll. Everyone feel free to chime in.

Thanks!

Justin


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## Guest

I think the best beginner is a few books and a visit to a breeders house. After that there are very few that a person would not be ready for. The larger spp are a nice buffer for a few mistakes, but the small ones aren't any harder if conditions are right.
j


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## Dancing frogs

I agree with Justin. Check out all the websites, research for a few months, get used to raising flies, etc.. Build you're Viv...and get the frogs you really want...Make sure they are captive bred though (for a first frog).


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## geckguy

I voted for leucs because of their call, and they arent shy. But all thoose are good starter frogs, except maybe the vents because mine seem a bit on the shy side. The most important thing is a frog that will keep the hobbyist interest so they dont get bored and forget about the frogs.


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## Guest

hmmm...my vents are like ping pong balls they never seem to stop moving and are almost always out in the open.


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## geckguy

Mine are out and about some of the time, but they arent nearly as bold as some of the tincs, azureus, or terribilis.


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## Guest

*poll_best dart frog for beginner*

Being I am a beginner (2 months), I really shouldn't be in this poll, however I did select D. leucomelas.

These are also the frogs I have.

Reasons for my choice: 
[Size]: not to big, yet not to small (my interest is thumbnails after getting more experience).
[Boldness]: wanted a frog that wasn't going to be to shy! (I have several specie of shy frogs. None darts)
[Group]: wanted as a first dart frog a specie that I didn't have to worry about females fighting or males fighting in small groups.
[Color]: D. leucomelas have a bold color combo with nice patterns. They also stand out in the vivarium.
[Vertical and Horizonal Space]: They will climb as well as use the ground.
[Availability/Cost ratio]: they are readily available for a reasonable cost. (I don't think I could bring myself to start with a rare or endanger specie for example, no matter how much I think I might want the specie, even researching in great detail. Doing is always going to present unkowns no matter how well one prepares, IMHO)


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## Bry

I can't really say either, as I've had my first darts for only a matter of weeks. Both are D. azureus, and I think they make great beginner frogs, bold, beautiful colors, hardy, and good-sized. I have heard good things about the other species listed in the polls as well. If anything, I would probably steer beginners away from the shyer species. I would think that'd be a good way to kill one's interest in this fascinating hobby. What fun is it to build up your hopes, only to get frogs that you're never going to see. I say save the shyer species for later when the keeper has had a little more experience under their belt, JMHO.

Bry


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## Guest

Well my first darts where auratus, very cool frogs for being green and black. Got rid of my orginal pair long ago, with in a month I had more. I just missed them that much.
All the frogs listed are great frogs to start with, but I chose terribilis. You can't call them shy. The biggest reason I would say these guys is because of the number one reason beginners have problems with darts, culturing flies. These guys will eat bigger sized food than almost anything else, so you can run down to the local pet store and get crickets, when your cultures get mites, mold over, ect ect. 
Tincs and Azureus are big frogs that like little food, so the eat a lot of flies.
Leucs are cool, and do have a nice call. Ours are not that shy, but not as bold as terribilis.
Overall, get a CB is a must for the first time dart keeper, and little back ground info.


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## Ryan

YAY! I think this will help keep repeats of posts at a minimum. 

I voted for leucs, i havent had personal experience with them, but i heard wonders. Their call is one of the main things so they will beable to be sexed easily at maturity, and i hear they are pretty bold.

Also my auratus are very bold, they are always out in the open, but the bad part is i think i have 2 males :x 

Ryan


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## Guest

Id say Cobaly tincs, im not an expert but mine have been eating like pigs so far.  Id say its best to go to the breeders house or to go to a reptile expo... if u dont get them yourself, the FedEx people will kill them because of shaking them up, turning em over to see what they are, or dropping them. I had a Fedex person drop my acropora corals and there dead! :evil:


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## Guest

Id say Cobaly tincs, im not an expert but mine have been eating like pigs so far.  Id say its best to go to the breeders house or to go to a reptile expo... if u dont get them yourself, the FedEx people will kill them because of shaking them up, turning em over to see what they are, or dropping them. I had a Fedex person drop my acropora corals and there dead! :evil:


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## kyle1745

I will have to say D. auratus just for cost sake. Leucs would run a close second.


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## Guest

Hey Dendro kid can you not use my picture with out my permission =P

Seriously thats my avatar and my picture. Its just annoying to see someone else using it for an avatar (and confusing).

My apologies if its a dendroboard hiccup.


-Tad


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## kyle1745

It has been corrected tad...


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## KeroKero

E. tricolor will always be my favorite beginner frog. When I started out all the books that mentioned dart frogs said E. tricolor (they were a bit old, tricolor had already dropped from the hobby). I guess now I'd have to say I technically started with E. anthonyi but thats a whole 'nother thread.

These guys do well in groups (I always had mine in groups), they can be very bright, bold, eat everything (even tho they are small frogs hydei is a favorite)..... appetites of phyllobates basically. They were forgiving about humidity too. I think the 'santa isabels' are poster frogs for darts.

While I don't keep phyllobates, I'd have to say bicolor/terribilis are my second recomendation for those who want larger frogs.


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## Guest

i voted for auratus, just because i had a pair of G&Bs that were wonderful for my first pair. they were my first small frog. i got them as froglets, and they were very forgiving. i guess im voting for them because all the research i did (including $$$) led me to believe they were the best for me to start with. after keeping mantellas and some other fly-eaters im glad i started with those guys.

im here on this board researching ideas for a new start, as i lost all of my frogs in one fail swoop of power loss over the summer . i was given an 80 gallon 5x1x2 foot tank that i think will be perfect for a small colony, so here we go again. 

landon


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## Guest

get some terriblis...

Like 6 of them...


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## steelcube

In addition to all these, I'd say learn what your favorite color is... As corny as this may sound, people do in fact have different color preferences... 

If you get the right frogs (color), you are more likely to pay attention. Which would hopefully encourage you to give the proper husbandry, asking the right questions and on your way to become a frog jedi...


SB


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## bbrock

My vote would be for any of the Phyllobates for one simple reason. They will eat crickets. That means that if a beginner winds up in a pickle with a crashed ff culture, then they can run to the local pet store and get crickets or waxworms to get them by.

I don't think I would even include vents on the list. Not that they are hard to keep, but successfully breeding them and morphing the tads can be a challenge. When I think of beginner frog, I don't think simply having a frog easy to maintain cuts it. Maintaining frogs can get boring and lead to a short stay in the hobby. Seeing those first froglets morph out can get a new hobbyist hooked for life. So for a thumbnail, I would go with something like imitator. Any of the other frogs listed are good though.


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## Guest

Sorry for going off topic here, but.....

Brent: "My vote would be for any of the Phyllobates for one simple reason. They will eat crickets."

Am I missing something? My D. leucomelas are eating crickets. I just started feeding them some within the last week. They are pin head to about 1/8 " in size. The frogs (2) are about 6 months of age and they really take to them.

I have other frogs and I started breeding the crickets to get pin heads on a regular basis just for the reason you stated, ff culture crashes.

Should I NOT feed them crickets? Were you referring to larger crickets for the larger specie.

These are my first darts (I posted earlier in this thread) and I agree with what you say. Get what you want (and color is important) rather then just maintaining something easier, but not what you want. 

Thanks
Lynn


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## Guest

What Brent meant was that the Phyllobate species will eat the larger crickets such as the "small sizes" you may see at the larger pet chains (petco, petsmart). These crickets are usually larger than true pinheads.


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## bbrock

Murse Jay said:


> What Brent meant was that the Phyllobate species will eat the larger crickets such as the "small sizes" you may see at the larger pet chains (petco, petsmart). These crickets are usually larger than true pinheads.


Close, but what I actually meant is that they will eat crickets of any size. I can't speak for lugubris but the rest of the Pyllobates will stuff down full sized adult crickets or waxworms ready to pupate. It's amazing what they will stuff down their maw. Just an hour ago I watched a bicolor hit a dead leaf when it was going for a ff and then when the leaf started swaying, it tried to eat the leaf. But yes, the main point was that most pet stores will carry "medium" and "large" crickets but not pinheads or ff so it's nice to have a fallback if you are just getting started with culturing ff.

Someone else mentioned that beginners should "get what they want" and I only agree with that within narrow limits. It does no good for either the beginner or the frogs if they get difficult frogs that are likely to die. It's much better for all if the first frogs are relatively easy to keep and the beginner is successful. Secondly, it is unethical for a beginner to start with rare frogs that have no become established as captive bred populations in the hobby. Too many frogs have been captured from the wild and imported in large number and elsewhere only to dissapear completely because they didn't make it into experienced hands. I know it raises the hackles of some people but simply having a few hundred bucks burning a hole in one's pocket does not make one qualified to acquire rare species and morphs. But experienced does not mean someone with large collections either. In fact, I often think that hobbyists with some successful breeding experience under their belt but a small collection are the best choice for some of the more difficult species simply because they can concentrate more time and attention on them. Okay, this turned into a bit of a soapbox but I do think there are good reasons that certain frogs are routinely recommended for beginners and others are not. That doesn't make "beginner" frogs any less cool than the others. Heck, I've been at this for many years and almost all of the frogs I keep are on that beginner list.


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## Guest

Whoa, I didn't realize that they would eat the medium and larger crickets. That is really amazing. Thanks for the clarification Brent.


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## Guest

Thanks for the clarification. I thought that was your point, however I didn't want to make any assumptions when a simple question would bring better results, not just for me, but also to anyone who might ask.

I used a poor choice of words saying " get what you want" and I just realized that I thought you made that statement Brent. Sorry my misstake. Your reply states my view much better. (see my post rating of best beginner frog).

Lynn


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## Rain_Frog

Personally, even if dart frogs were brown, like chocolate auratus, they would still be among my favorite anurans, as long as they are interesting. That has a lot to do with what species you select.

It also pertains if you can take advantage of any local herper. I was fortunate to run into Justin Pierce at a very, VERY local herp show, so I could pick out my frog and not pay shipping.

Despite I like brilliant, metallic green and bronze (D. auratus), I chose tinctorius as my starter. In fact, I chose tinctorius as my third frog species I ever kept in my life, well, maybe a bull froglet to make it the fourth, but I didn't keep the bullfrog for very long. 

Even though I like auratus more for their color, I will say, the first few months Kole was VERY shy. Thank goodness he's as bold as can be now that he's an adult male. Now that I know that auratus have a tendency to be as shy as he was, I know I would of dropped the hobby within a few weeks if I chose auratus.

I voted for "other," because it is still somewhat up to the individual, as all choices for the poll were good, except for two in my opinion. Also, the poll didn't mention P. bicolor, vittatus, or aurotaenia. vits and auros aren't as common, but they are hardy frogs still, and fairly cheap. And what about imitator? I can't see why vents were mentioned, but bold little imitators weren't. However, I personally wouldn't recommend any thumbnail frog for beginners, as well as tricolor. Even though tricolor are my fav dart frog, they are small and climb a lot. It doesn't take much for a tiny frog to squeeze through a tiny gap and escape forever, something many new frog owners (I've been there myself) have dealt with. Not something fun to find a prized, expensive amphibian sticking to the wall, flat as paper. Also, tricolors are rare these days, even if they are cheaper than tinctorius.

While I agree with Bbrock, I will add (if you are dedicated enough and really going to put in the effort) it can be worth it to pay the extra price, but I am only referring to my tinc experience over auratus. 

There are only three dart frogs I really would miss keeping. They are common, except for one of them (nowadays).and that is the three Ts: tincs/azureus, tricolor, and terribilis!


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## Guest

I know they're not that popular, but my vote would be for some galacs. I only have two but they are beuatifully colored, and as bold as they come ALWAYS out in the open and climbing all over the place.


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## Rain_Frog

galacts are a good choice, but they are often cut out because they are more of a recent type of frog in the US that is now becoming popular. They also remain much mroe expensive at the moment.

Honestly I think all the tinc class frogs in captivity *appear to be the easiest next to phyllobates.


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## siples

Everybody has brought up some very good points as why their choices would be a good beginner's frog. I think one of the best choices would be Table Mountain Dwarf Tincs, their colors are stunning and being a smaller frog they can be kept in a more compact enclosure. You can enjoy tinc breeding behavior in a smaller package, and they do take a variety of larger food. The only problem being that you still have to keep an eye on the females if you are keeping more then one, even though they are smaller they certainly are not less aggressive!!!
Kieth


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## Guest

It seems like most of the best beginner frogs have been pretty well covered in this thread, but I wanted to comment a bit on auratus. I got my first dart frogs last May. They were four Costa Rican G&B from Patrick, two male, two female (perfecto  ). Instead of starting out small, I setup a 55 gallon tank with way more plants than I planned on including originally. 

My experience with the auratus has been fantastic. As everyone here knows, they're very easy to take care of, they eat like pigs (i have seen mine eat crickets from petsmart, though I only tried that once), and they're so eager to breed that if they can't find a suitable leaf, or if I haven't placed a breeding hut in the tank, they'll lay eggs almost weekly (for periods of time) on river rocks near the water feature. In addition, I had always read that their call is almost inaudible, but the truth is that I can hear my males calling from the other end of the house. They sound very much like birds. So those are the positives, the most significant of which (to me) is how easily they breed. I agree with whoever said that frogs that breed easily are more likely to keep someone from abandoning the hobby. I'm now rearing my first froglets and it's inspired me to expand my collection to include some other species. 

The negatives for auratus: as everyone's pointed out, they're pretty shy. When I was brand new to the hobby, their shyness was somewhat discouraging. They've become a little bolder over time and as the tank has grown out a bit, but certainly they aren't nearly as active as most of the other frogs mentioned in the poll. Although I'm VERY happy with my auratus now and wouldn't trade them for anything, I would say that their shyness alone makes them an inferior choice to the leucamelas for a beginner. I could see how a newcomer might give up on dart frogs altogether if they never see their new frogs.


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## Guest

*Great to know this.*

I've been reading posts and descriptions of darts for the last two to three years. I've always been too afraid to get them, A cuase i didnt have money (thats changed), and B cuase I only had a tiny 10 gallon tank (thats changed also, I know have a 29 gallon viv).
I thought D. auratus were fantasitcally colored. But I've never seen on in real life, only pics. Then, when I went to store that sold them I only saw one tiny, tini, itsy, bitsy dendro. I have no Idea what it was, It seemed to have spots of evey color. It was pretty bold as it came to look at me when I looked at it.
Anyway, I've seen more pics of dendros and would like a tinc becuase they seem to grow pretty big and have colors to sooth sore eyes. I like the thumbnails, but they might be too hard for me. Next time I see a little frog I'll ask if its gonna grow some more.


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## verbal

Welcome to the board  
Tincs were my first dart frog, and I can't recommend them enough. There are plenty of excellent breeders in the NYC area (and nationally), and I would strongly suggest buying your frogs from one of them. Getting healthy, well-started first frogs is very important to your success as a beginner. Also, there is a reptile show in White Plains four times per year, and there are always some darts there (especially tincs!)

Ryan


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## Guest

*Tinc breeders*

Hey, thanks for the welcome. How would I find Tinc/dart breeders in NYC? I haven't got a clue. I wouldnt want to buy the frogs without picking them out for myself. Otherwise I would have ordered them a while ago through the internet. Also, how big do tincs grow. I saw a picture somewhere of one of them, and it was as long as the diameter of a hygrometer, I would guess about 1.5 inches?


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## ErickG

I'm not sure how big they get, but some of the larger tincs like the Citronella's get pretty big. I havent measured my largest frog, but it's safe to say that my female Yellowback is bigger than 2 inches, easy.


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## Guest

*tinc sizes*

2 inches is pretty good, but I imagine that they are sold at half that size. Otherwise they would be asking about a hundred dollars for them right?


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## ErickG

I think it varies on the breeder/seller. But as a beginner, I suggest getting well-established froglets to juvenile. Price varies, as well. The price do tend to be more as they get older and gain size.
If you want, just PM me with any questions. I think we're going beyond the scope of this thread.


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## Guest

back to the thread poll, i vote leucs.. I have only had them for 1 day, and they are VERY bold. Going all over, and sitting out in the open... I dont know what it is, but my azureus doesnt seem to want to go out in the open!...



Geoff


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## Guest

back to the thread poll, i vote leucs.. I have only had them for 1 day, and they are VERY bold. Going all over, and sitting out in the open... I dont know what it is, but my azureus doesnt seem to want to go out in the open!...


they ate already as well 

Geoff


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## Dartfrogfreak

I will have to say D. Auratus.

They are beautiful, cheap, & can be kept in groups.

D. Leucomelas are nice begginner frogs also. a little more exspensive than D Auratus but are less shy.


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## patm

I'm going with D. leucomelas. I'm a beginner and these are my first frogs, chosen based on tons of reading that said they were good beginner frogs :wink:


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## Rain_Frog

As a side note, one reason why I wouldn't vote terribilis/bicolor for a good starter because many folks here report them being a bit more touchy at high temperatures, the same reason why I wouldn't vote tricolor either.

Auratus, leucs, tincs/azureus are the best choice for "starters," but as long as you can keep them cool, terribilis/bicolor and tricolor are good choices. I don't know anything about vittatus or lugbris, but they could make good candidates. Auratus and leucs are the cheapest, but I started with a tinc and had a spare 20 gallon already (considering tincs are more aggressive than the other choices, needing more space).

If galacts weren't as expensive and truncatus weren't so rare, I'm sure they could substitute for the other tinc frogs.


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## KeroKero

Galacs and truncs are uncommon/expensive for a reason - they are tricky to breed successfully (not to mention sex in the first place). They are nice easy frogs for the most part, but a lot of people have some very serious issues breeding them, otherwise I would have recomended them in my other post. Both those species I'd say were more of an "intermediate" tinc group frog.

Each of the before mentioned frogs have their strong points and their weak points and differ to varying degrees in their care - I wouldn't say terrib/bicolor/tri temp "sensitivities" are a reason to pull them from the running - if you put those animals in a state where they'd die from heat, then other recomended species are going to have an issue as well. And honestly, I've seen tricolor be very forgiving about temps, its just their over all temps like to be lower, which is honestly right at my room temps. The few degree temp difference between what tricolor like and what some of my other frogs like is just a matter of how I place them on my rack system - tincs get the lower tanks that don't have lights under them to heat them up like the tanks above them. They are not like highland species of atelopus, mantellas, and orchids that need chillers, and the temp fluctuations that would harm them are bad to have with any PDF.

Its a matter of people needing to do their research, thats all, and the varying definitions of what makes a "beginner frog" which is judged by what their "easiness" level is (I commented on this in another thread).


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## Guest

I am a beginner with dart frogs... I have read everything I can about them for awhile now & picked up 4 black & green Auratus this past weekend... They where from a show.. I had wanted to get Leucs as my first becuase of there boldness but was a little discouraged when they had already sold out of them by the time I got there... I almost decided to go with out & wait... But decided I wanted the auratus eventually so I went with them even though I thought they would be more shy than I wanted for my first... Being a few days later I couldn't be more happy with my decision... I am hooked now. If these guys are the shy ones I can't wait until I can get some of the more bold species... Even though shy they are just fun to watch. I have close to 150 other reptiles & some exotics but these have been the most fun to watch so far. Allot more personality than most of my animals. -Brad


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## texasladiebug

I would vote leucs, with azureus being a close second. I have a leuc, azureus and brazillian goldenhead and the leuc is the most fun, by far! She's all over the place climbing, eating and watching ME! She likes to explore and she's very pretty to look at. My azureus, on the other hand, is also pretty fun to watch, but not as bold.


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## texasladiebug

I would vote leucs, with azureus being a close second. I have a leuc, azureus and brazillian goldenhead and the leuc is the most fun, by far! She's all over the place climbing, eating and watching ME! She likes to explore and she's very pretty to look at. My azureus, on the other hand, is also pretty fun to watch, but not as bold.


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## widmad27

D. tinctorius powder blue is by far in my opinion the easiest to take care of because you can't really seem to do anything wrong and they just keep growing and becoming more active.


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## aquick

My vote goes for P. bicolor


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## markbudde

I vote imitator. I've only had leucs and imis, but I could never get my leucs to breed.
---------------------------------------------
Edit: Darn, I really hate the way a new vote registers as a new post. Well, I still vote imi.


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## jehitch

I would suggest two beginner darts:
Phyllobates aurotaenia, simply because I have about 30 of them 
or Cryptophyllobates azureiventris.

My azureiventris have been just about bullet-proof. My cat caught an escapee, and after I got him back, and sprayed off the hairballs and dust bunnies, he hopped away like nothing happened.

I put a five frog breeding colony in a quarantine container, and due to a number of extenuating circumstances, they ended up living in there for months. It reached a point that the container was so overgrown it was like that scene in Jurassic park, where they drop the feeder animal in the veloceraptor cage, and all you see is the leaves move as they pounce on it.

I finally gave them a nice (although sparsely planted) viv in the store, and within minutes the male was singing his brains out. He's been at it for a week now, showing off for customers every chance he gets.

Jim


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## Richard

This kind of information is very helpful to those of us new to the hobby.


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## BillB55

I am a beginner, and I have only a pair of green leg lamasi frogs, but I think they're great. The male started singing within a couple of weeks of my getting the pair--a beautiful little cricket/bird-like trill that I can hear from another room. The breeding started, and they have produced lots of eggs and tadpoles already (have had them 3 months, not long enough for froglets yet). The highlight so far was seeing the male start to carry tadpoles around on his back. These are small, fairly shy frogs, so I'm sure other people (maybe most other people) would say they're not good for beginners. But, I love the metallic yellow and green and black colors, and their interesting little lives in the bromeliads. I think the fact that they are such prolific breeders has made a huge difference, and now I'm thinking about what I want next! (what I want is red galactonotus, but not sure if I should do that, because it seems they like it a bit warmer, and my house is pretty cool in the winter). Anyway, my two cents,
Bill


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## bksbuddha

I voted auratus because that's what I have & am extremely please w/their visability at the moment. It's a good thing that they come out as they're only about 1 1/2 months old &  very hard to find when they choose to hide. Besides, they come in my fav color: Blue!


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## LittleDip

I voted for the leucs. The our colorful and bold. I have them in my living room and they are always out and about. Their call is amazing and loud. I can hear them all the way in the kitchen.


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## geckoman2

D. auratus I am new here as of a few minutes ago and am getting back into darts. I chose D. auratus because that is what I started out with and they were super easy for me. I have been into reptiles and amphibians all my life and started with the darts a few years ago. I stopped after moving too much and now am ready to settle down with a few vivs. I will probably get the D. auratus first.


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## Azureus84

I voted for azureus. They're relatively hardy, bold and one of the most beautiful darts out there. It's the species that really got me started in the hobby.


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## clippo

not sure if they've been mentioned (as I've just skim read) and they are not in the poll... I was considering red backed D. galactonotus as my first frogs..... any views on them at all? Could I add say 2 azureus and 2 galactonotus froglets into a tank (30UK gal) at the same time?


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## carola1155

clippo said:


> not sure if they've been mentioned (as I've just skim read) and they are not in the poll... I was considering red backed D. galactonotus as my first frogs..... any views on them at all? Could I add say 2 azureus and 2 galactonotus froglets into a tank (30UK gal) at the same time?


I would not recommend mixing those two species into adulthood, as once they become sexually mature they may become agressive (especially any female azureus).

Also, galacts are not really considered a great beginner frog as they can be very difficult to breed.

Edit: It was mentioned, just found this:


KeroKero said:


> Galacs and truncs are uncommon/expensive for a reason - they are tricky to breed successfully (not to mention sex in the first place). They are nice easy frogs for the most part, but a lot of people have some very serious issues breeding them, otherwise I would have recomended them in my other post. Both those species I'd say were more of an "intermediate" tinc group frog.


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## ahinkle

I voted for "Other" because my first were imitators and I found them not to be to difficult. 
I have seen them within one year be extremely shy and also not shy at all. It all depends on what they are used to, if there is a lot of back ground movement in the area they are at, then they just take it for granted. No or little movement and they become the most reclusive guys ever.


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## Shady

i voted for azureus since they were my first frogs.. Mine have been bold and problem-free(knock on wood) since I got them almost a yr ago. I couldn't be more happy with them especially since they just started to lay eggs like crazy.. plus they are blue and black My favorite colors  cant go wrong there haha


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## Jerseyzuks

I'm fairly new to PDFs (but not to herps in general) 

I currently have D. auratus and D. leucomelas.

I voted for the D. leucomelas, just because mine are very active and voratious eaters. As a newbie, it was very satisfying to see them chow down hours after I placed them in their new vivarium. 

My D. auratus are beautiful, but they are less active and a bit more shy. They also don't eat quite the way the leucs do, so they aren't growing as quickly.


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## pacaAndrew

I vote auratus but I'm biased bc thats how i started and all I currently have. (Until I get my cobalts )


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## colb

I also add one vote for Auratus. They were my first frogs and my only frogs thus far. I could have chosen from a variety of Tincs, some Leucs or Azureus, etc at the time of my purchase, but I opted for what in my mind I consider the definite classic among Darts... Highly recommended as a great beginner frog! 

Mine are Costa Rican Green&Blacks, and they are not nearly as shy as some people claim. They are always out and about, climbing all around utilizing the entire space in the tank - and they're not even full grown yet!


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## EricT

I think there is no substitute for vast amounts of research. That being said I voted for Azureus. 

The reasons are these:

1) Ease of Care ( no more or less than Auratus or Leucs )
2) Bold frog ( more so )
3) Easier to breed in comparison to other frogs

I cold just as easily recomend Auratus or Leucs which were my firsts, but I think that if we are looking at everything all together Azureus gets the slight nod in my opinion.


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## Ziggi

I am myself looking at a beginner frog and I am also highly inclined towards getting a group of Azureus but the whole female - female domination thing is a little stressful for me.
I would hate to have to separate them or anything because the whole point of me getting a group is to watch a group not individual frogs in each tank.

How do you deal with the female violence in Azureus?
I have a 45Gal 24x18x24 exo terra viv I'm construction so PLENTY of space for 3-4 Azureus right?


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## yours

I think it's all about providing plenty of hiding places/visual barriers, and being sure to monitor each individual frog's feeding habits...

I'm going to be building a 90 gallon and putting like 5 D. azureus in there myself! 

I suspect if the frogs sort of "grow up together", that would help out a little as well....


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## bstorm83

well this has been said but from personal experience I say Leucs are the best! They are not only beautiful but active and they are always out and about. Definitely a hardy species! So I shall put up some pics of one of my leucs that I had!


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## Elf_Ascetic

I don't know if it's already mentioned, but Hyloxalus azureiventris (former known as Cryptophylobates azureiventris) works just fine. It's a though frog, beautiful call and pretty bold. I understand it was quite popular, but there are not so many in the hobby anymore.


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## TsReptiles

i voted for Azureus because those were my first frogs and i enjoy them till this day, watching them interact, wrestle, or even just hang out and hunt. just a good frog all around real hardy. although i hear lecus are great.


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## DCreptiles

i think the vents are an amazing beginner frog for the fact is that their small and i hear their shy but from my expierence their always outi have 1.2 in a nicely planted 10 and they soak in the lil pool hang inthe film cans and at night sleep in the brush. each one has their fav leaf i can find them at. when i mist and feed they come from hiding to eat and im happy to say i can physically see all 3 eat daily. the main reason why their great for a first timer, they fit in a smaller viv and their hardy gives a newbie a way to trial and error and do everything on a smaller scale befor getting into larger dendrobates and larger more advanced vivariums.


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## SamsonsFrogs

I voted "Other" because about 4 years ago I bought a Bumble Bee dart frog and what do you know it was actually a Leuc.I also think Auratus are really good beginner darts.From what i have researched and read was that they are both really attractive ,bold, hardy, and active darts.


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## pl259

I'm a big fan of P. Vittatus as a beginner dart. Second to that would be vents and imitators.
Vittatus are great because they do well in groups, can eat a large variety of different feeders, breed well, are not expensive, and have a bunch of cool calls. They start out a little shy, but quickly become bolder.


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## earthfrog

Beginners---Read all the posts you can here first before posting. Soak it up like a sponge. 

D. Imitator Standard---great little frog---the size of a thumbnail. Beautiful colors, great disposition. Needs a vertical tank with lots of climbing space, miniature bromeliads (Neoreglia is my fave), high humidity and moss galore.


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## chivers

Leuc b/c they are readily available, hardy, relatively inexpensive and bold.
Nice survey!


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## laylow

I've got to be the one to state the obvious, as far as votes go. . . azureus should count toward the tinctorous vote. Afterall, the last i checked they were part of the same group


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## crentania

Voted for Other. LOVE my Vittatus. They're gorgeous, they're social, they chirp and chitter at each other, and will sit in the middle of the viv and stare at me while I'm watching TV. Wonderful frogs!


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## cowboys22

I totally agree with Justin..if conditions are right(humidity,temp)all u need is a small amount of airflow plenty of plants and ffs..any more than that is just asthetics..I raised frogs just fine with a simple setup as well as the extras


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## cowboys22

And conditions needs are pretty much the same the same for all species...they're all pretty easy once u get the know how..


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## cowboys22

Looking at the results it seems that the best beginner frog would simply be the cheaper ones I guess it's easier on ur wallet if u happen to loose a frog or 2


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## Reef_Haven

cowboys22 said:


> Looking at the results it seems that the best beginner frog would simply be the cheaper ones I guess it's easier on ur wallet if u happen to loose a frog or 2


and there lies the problem with labeling any frog as a beginner frog...

It gives the connotation that these frogs are somewhat disposable.


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## MKammerer

Agreed with previous comments about visiting a breeder. What qualifications are you looking for, ease of care? Visibility? 

For an easy to care for dart that is not very shy I'd say D. leucomelas because they can rock a 10 gallon pretty easily. I think P. terribilis are great too because of their bold nature and ability to eat larger prey. 

Really, it depends on what you're going for in terms of care and how elusive you want the dart to be. I rarely see my first D. auratus but she has grown bigger and faster than any of my other frogs. 

Tough call.


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## Froger2014

I been looking intoore dart frogs with the wife and would like to now if anyone can suggest a type that are red in color and that would be unshy so that we could see them. I only been working with the dart and tree frogs for bout 6 months now but been doing good with no real issues


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## diggenem

E. Anthonyi SI are great beginner frogs. As adults they are a wine color, very bold and extremely vocal.


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## rigel10

My vote is definitely for Epipedobates. Diggenem said why. In addition, they are hard frogs, they are cheap, funny, reproduce easily and give great satisfaction to the breeder.


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## DragonSpirit1185

Lets resurrect this poll and get this thread bumped back up for the new folks to read though I would suggest only experienced people actually voting.


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## dartfrogbeginner

Guest said:


> I think the best beginner is a few books and a visit to a breeders house. After that there are very few that a person would not be ready for. The larger spp are a nice buffer for a few mistakes, but the small ones aren't any harder if conditions are right.
> j


Are there certain books you recommend?


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## bulbophyllum

dartfrogbeginner said:


> Are there certain books you recommend?


The post you are questioning is almost 20 years old.


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