# Importing Pumilio and getting back in the hobby



## Jace King (May 5, 2004)

Hello. I have been planning on getting back into the hobby. My hope was to look into new shipments of pumilio. Are there any companies importing frogs any more? Sorry if this is totally lame question, but I am having a hard time finding any info. I always planned on getting back into dart frogging. I shared a large collection with a friend of mine back in the day then he moved away and I just got way to busy to maintain 20+ dart frog tanks. I always wanted to get back into the hobby with a lot more focused approached. I have learned the lessons of the dart frog addiction and getting in over your head. At one point I could not afford fruit fly cups and I had to start re-using them. That sucked cleaning out 30 FF cultures every week.

My goal now is to take a freshly imported oophaga pumilio (back in my day they were still called dendrobates) and make a very stable bloodline with multiple breeding groups of one morph. I am not even sure if frogs are still coming in.

Any ideas on where I should look for a nice group of frogs?


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## Jungle_John (Feb 19, 2007)

Look Shawn up. His Facebook is the frog whisper. He brings them in.


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## markpulawski (Nov 19, 2004)

The importer of Panamanian Pumilio is in south Florida, Strictly Reptiles, now and then someone else will bring in Nicaraguan BJ shipments and there were Costa Rican shipments through Saurian but those have seemed to have stopped for the time being.


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## Scott (Feb 17, 2004)

Not directly he doesn't.

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Jungle_John said:


> Look Shawn up. His Facebook is the frog whisper. He brings them in.


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## oldlady25715 (Nov 17, 2007)

But if you order from Strictly, as a new client, you'd be in the back of the line and get what's left in terms of sex, phenotype, and health, all of which may be unsuitable for a solid long-term breeding project.


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## Jace King (May 5, 2004)

I looked at the Frog Whisperer's facebook page and saw 2 different trio's I really liked. The Rio Branco and the Rambala.

I was sort of hoping for more than trio's to start with, but those are great looking frogs at a price I think seems reasonable. If i was ready to purchase frogs today then I would probably have a hard time not buying either group.

I checked out Strictly reptiles and was planning on speaking with them. They seem to have 4 or 5 possible candidates. 
I assume these are the varieties to choose from if you want newly imported frogs in today's market.
Colubre
Salt Creek
Bastimentos
Uyama
Las Tablas


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## srrrio (May 12, 2007)

I just have to ask, since there are a lot of nice captive bred pumilio on the market, why you particularly want wild caught? I understand wanting to start fresh, but for instance I still have f1's from 2004 that are still producing healthy offspring. It may be harder to track those guys down, I'll agree. However last I heard basitmentos, for instance, were becoming scarce in Panama. There are also sustainable frogs available on the market now from, WIKIRI, Tesoros De Columbia, and CRARC.

Just had to put that thought out there!


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## Jace King (May 5, 2004)

Point me in the direction of source where I can get 6-10 specimen of any pumilio and I will consider it. 

I always wanted them to be WC or FR ( whatever they are called nowadays) because I just felt like I could have more understanding of their past. You said yourself you understand the desire to "start fresh". Also it just seems way more likely that I could afford and attain the amount of quality animals I want.

I remember always hearing stories about frog importations and people trying to get those lines established and thought that sounded like fun.

All frogs gotta come from somewhere and I am pretty ignorant on the moral / political issues regarding importations of dart frogs.


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## tarbo96 (Jan 12, 2006)

Sent you a Pm.


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## oldlady25715 (Nov 17, 2007)

I've ordered groups of 4 or 5 only to get all one sex. Better off paying more for proven pairs which are acclimated to captive conditions and treated for parasites /chytrid IMO.


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## Jace King (May 5, 2004)

yes I currently am weighing 3 options. With 2 frogs being the top candidate. 
1. Rio Branco
2. Rambala
Las Tablas and colubre are also great looking frogs.

1. group of captive bred frogs (pumilio)
2. small group of established imports
3. large group of fresh imports

In 2005 or whenever the almirante / man creek came in. I got to go to someone's house and pick 5 out of maybe 30-50 frogs. Since I wont have that pleasure this time around, its hard to just accept any random frog sent from the importer.

Its really so much to consider. I need to make sure I get it right.


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## topher (Oct 9, 2013)

A lot of peoples best option to 'get it right', as you say, is to purchase a few (4 or 5) captive bred animals as froglets and raise them up. The rio bronco that shawn harrington has, he has treated and established as pairs or trios. Rambala have proven to breed like rabbits, and you can easily find quite a few froglets for a reasonable price from one person.


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## CharValley (Feb 29, 2016)

I have had contact with both Saurian Enterprises and JL- Exotics, both have proven excellent sources for imported frogs and first generation captive bred frogs. JL-Exotics is working closely with Tesoros De Columbia, which is bringing in the first legal Oophaga such as the bullseye and I believe that Saurian is not only focused on the smaller thumbnail style frogs of our hobby but is currently breeding some of those reclassified Oophaga (previously Dendrobate).

I have several breeding pair's purchased from both companies and I know they work to fill the needs of their customers as best they can. Saurian sells matched pair's both confirmed breeding pair as well as matched male and female pair.

Best of luck!
Charlie


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## Jace King (May 5, 2004)

I am very curious about Tesoros De Columbia. Will be looking into them. Saurian is a name I remember and will be heading to their website as of this edit.


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## tarbo96 (Jan 12, 2006)

Jace King said:


> I am very curious about Tesoros De Columbia. Will be looking into them. Saurian is a name I remember and will be heading to their website as of this edit.


Tesoros doesn't work with pumilio, they do work with high end oophaga and other Colombian frogs.


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## Jace King (May 5, 2004)

Yes I just look at their website and saw the Histrionica. These frogs were holy grail frogs , back when I was a collector. I never actually knew anybody that had any breeding though. I never saw them in person. As such I am not really familiar with their behavior in the same way I understand pumilio ( or at least the pumilio I worked with).

They do not seem ready to ship out which is great cause I am not ready to pull the trigger yet either. It really just added another option to my already hard list of options.


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## srrrio (May 12, 2007)

Jace King said:


> Point me in the direction of source where I can get 6-10 specimen of any pumilio and I will consider it. .





Jace King said:


> Its really so much to consider. I need to make sure I get it right.


Getting yourself to this would help with both of the above! 
http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/general-discussion/277746-american-frog-day-2016-a.html


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## chefboyardee (May 31, 2013)

ordered a trio of rio branco from shawn a month or so ago

he's got some healthy frogs, the male was calling within the day it arrived


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## oldlady25715 (Nov 17, 2007)

I got a nice trio of Branco from Shawn as well. Were breeding in quarantine bin!

I'll have 4 or 5 rambala ready to sell in about 1-2 months. most of them are too small to ship now


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## chefboyardee (May 31, 2013)

oldlady25715 said:


> I got a nice trio of Branco from Shawn as well. Were breeding in quarantine bin!
> 
> I'll have 4 or 5 rambala ready to sell in about 1-2 months. most of them are too small to ship now


....I might be interested in those for the new tank


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