# Dendrobates truncatus - Beginner to Intermediate



## kyle1745 (Feb 15, 2004)

*Dendrobates Truncatus:* 

*Difficulty:* Beginner 'Yellow' to Intermediate 'Blue'
*Location & History* D. Truncatus was first described by Cope as _phyllobates truncatus_ in 1861. The species was later deterimined to belong to the genus _dendrobates_ in 1867. This frog can be found in the Rio Magdalena dranage from Chaparral to the Carribean Coast, in the lowlands around the northern Andes, west to Golfo de Urabá, Colombia. _D. Truncatus_ is an inhabitant of the moist tropical forest leaf litter, but is sometimes encountered in dry forest. This species has a great affinity for water, living alongside streams, lakes, or puddles. In the wild, _D. Truncatus_ is capable of producing histrionicotoxin, the same compound produced by _dendrobates histrionicus_.
*Descriptions & Behavior:*
D. Truncatus is one of the smallest of the Tinctorius complex at around 23-30mm. The species has two morphs in the hobby; the yellow morph and a blue-green morph. Both morphs have a circular pattern on the back and reticulations on the belly of their respective color combined with variable amounts of blue mottling. Individuals may be told apart by belly and leg markings.
While width of the markings varies by population, the overall pattern tends to remain the same throughout the species. 

_Yellow_ - also occasionally called gold, these animals have somewhat broader stripes than their blue counterparts, with a bright yellow with some metallic gold in the color. Coloration on the top of the legs and belly can range from gold to yellow, white, and slightly greenish, to pale blue depending on the animal. Occasionally some animals show speckling of yellow on the back in animals with a lot of pattern. 

_Blue_ - also referenced as turquoise, green, blue/green. These animals are black with finer markings than the 'Yellow', with the color being much more iridescent and ranging from a pale blue to a light green. This form has not been common in the hobby due to troubles breeding and raising the young.
*General Care:* 
Truncatus should be kept in a good size terrarium around a 20L or larger for a small group. The tank should be well planted with leaf litter, to allow for best viewing.
They reproduce similarly to other tinc group frogs, and tadpoles, at least of the yellow, tend to be hardy. Both forms have been successfully bred, morphed, and raised in their parent tanks, and this will occur in breeding tanks where multiple small water sources (tadpoles should be raised individually like other tinc group frogs). The blue morph has been historically harder to breed.

Tank temperatures should be kept on the low side in the low to mid 70's.

Other care should be comparative to aurtauts in relation to feeding over all care. They can me a bit trickier to breed.
*Breeding & tadpole Care:*
Sexing - a difficult challenge in these frogs due to the low sexual dimorphism and the tendency for frogs in the hobby to be overweight - disguising the true body shape of the animals which is the strongest sex indicater in the adults where the female is more pear shaped, carrying the roundness down near her hips. Males do not show roundness unless they are overweight. There may also be a small size difference, with the females being slightly larger. Sexual maturity is typical of the tinc group, around a year to a year and a half, though it may take up to two years for successful reproduction.
*Pictures:*






Showing some of the yellow spotting that can occur:


This is a young female starting to show the 'pear shaped' body. This is not nearly as chubby as females will get (she's only ~10 months), but is more pear shaped than adult males 




Trunc pair, female left, male right.

 
References: 
Clinical Toxinology Resources Website
http://www.thebdg.org/library/frogspeci ... catus1.htm

Contributers: 
Corey Wickliffe (Kerokero)
Sports_Doc
Onagro
Kyle Kopp (kyle1745)

If you would like to see any updates or modifications to this care sheet please let myself or a moderator know.

Last Updated: 6/20/2007


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