# Breeding behavior in d.leucomelas and r.imitator???



## ConnorTP96 (Mar 10, 2016)

Hi guys, 

Just a quick question on my dart frog's behaviour. I have 2 dart frog vivs with a pair of d.leucomelas and a male/female pair of r.imitator 'Tarapoto'. The males of both species will call every single morning sometimes throughout the day. 
I have provided them with bromeliads and coconut huts in both vivs, what are the chances that they will lay eggs if not so already? (I'm hesitant to go in and rummage through the setups as I do not want to disturb them without being 100% sure that they've laid). 

Appreciate your comments,
Connor


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## erikm (Oct 1, 2015)

How long have you had them and how old are they?


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## ConnorTP96 (Mar 10, 2016)

I've had the r.imitator pair since November and they were roughly 4-5 months when I got them. I have had the leucs since the start of this year but I have no idea how old they are


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## erikm (Oct 1, 2015)

I can only comment on the imitators.

Do you have much leaf litter on the floor of the tank? My imitator varadero pair lays their eggs exclusively in leaf litter. I never see any eggs, but I see my male transporting tads every couple of weeks. Once a tad is transported the male will go to the deposition site almost every day and do much different call to get the female to come lay feeder eggs. To me it sounds shorter and more like an impatient/urgent call compared to the longer, poised call when courting. This change in behaviour and calling is what tipped me off to peak into the bromeliads and film cans when my pair first started breeding and I found tads.

Are you 100% sure you have a female in both pairs? Do you see them courting? Do you see them wrestling? It's possible you have two males and one of them is submissive and does not call. 

Post some photos of your frogs and their tanks. I also got my imitator pair in November and they have produced 4 froglets and another 6-10 tadpoles in various stages since then.


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## ConnorTP96 (Mar 10, 2016)

Hey thanks for your reply, 

That call from the male imitator sounds very familiar and yes I purchased the imitators as a sexed pair from a reputable breeder. I am unable to upload images at the moment but I keep the imitators in a temporary exo-terra mini setup which is densely planted/littered and aim to move them to a larger setup once I move house this summer. The male and female are seen in the top right-hand corner of the viv everyday next to an orchid on the back wall, but I have never seen any tadpole transportation! It's very difficult to see what is going on in there as the tank is so densely planted and the risk of the frogs jumping out if I remove the screen lid is likely!  

What do you recommend I do?
Cheers


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