# Do Poison Dart Frogs need UVB Light like Lizards do?



## that Frog Guy (May 13, 2012)

I have two Bearded Dragons that require UVB Lighting to process Calcium.

Do Poison Dart Frogs need this as well?


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## Mitch (Jun 18, 2010)

The general consensus seems to be no, but others may say otherwise. I'd say don't bother with UV lighting.


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## hypostatic (Apr 25, 2011)

This is a very good thread on the subject:
http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/science-conservation/73268-uvb-exposure-dendrobates.html


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## Ed (Sep 19, 2004)

hypostatic said:


> This is a very good thread on the subject:
> http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/science-conservation/73268-uvb-exposure-dendrobates.html


 
beat me to it... I was just looking up the link for that thread... 

Ed


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## hypostatic (Apr 25, 2011)

That's what happens when you take a break from the boards!


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## Pacblu202 (May 8, 2012)

good link guys, as far as i see it as long as you use calcium d3 they should be fine. When i think of wild darts i dont think of them as being in places that have loads of light. i think of jungles and trees covering the most of the light so that they really wouldnt receive that much UVB but the article will give you all the info u need!


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## Ed (Sep 19, 2004)

Pacblu202 said:


> good link guys, as far as i see it as long as you use calcium d3 they should be fine. When i think of wild darts i dont think of them as being in places that have loads of light. i think of jungles and trees covering the most of the light so that they really wouldnt receive that much UVB but the article will give you all the info u need!


A lot of people seem to think that the frogs come from jungles that would have done Edgar Rice Burroughs' Tarzan books justice when in reality in many species the greatest densities can be found in disturbed habitat (such as tree clearings, edges of roads, cemetaries... etc) where they are have access to high amounts of UVB light.. Even if they were found in a dense canopy region, there tend to be what are termed sunflecks (see Sunfleck - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia for the basics).... 

Ed


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## Pacblu202 (May 8, 2012)

Ed said:


> A lot of people seem to think that the frogs come from jungles that would have done Edgar Rice Burroughs' Tarzan books justice when in reality in many species the greatest densities can be found in disturbed habitat (such as tree clearings, edges of roads, cemetaries... etc) where they are have access to high amounts of UVB light.. Even if they were found in a dense canopy region, there tend to be what are termed sunflecks (see Sunfleck - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia for the basics)....
> 
> Ed


you learn something new every day! hahaha the discovery channel can only teach you soo much


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## Ed (Sep 19, 2004)

Pacblu202 said:


> you learn something new every day! hahaha the discovery channel can only teach you soo much


And in more than one case it is wrong.... 

Ed


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## hypostatic (Apr 25, 2011)

Was this greater density directly correlated with the amount of UVB, or could it be due to another factor like prey availability?


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## Ed (Sep 19, 2004)

hypostatic said:


> Was this greater density directly correlated with the amount of UVB, or could it be due to another factor like prey availability?


I'd have to dig through the literature to refresh my memory to be sure but if I remember correctly, it correlated to greater reproductive sites but there are good studies that prove that the frogs can detect UVB exposure....and avoid it when they choose which strongly implicates a method of self regulation (since it is also seen in other taxa...) 


Ed


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## Pacblu202 (May 8, 2012)

Yeah I hear ya Ed! I've proven the discovery channel wrong a few times on fish. Some of the things they say are total facepalms.


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