Defining Characteristics:

• Great beginner frog
• Intense orange coloration when mature
• Bold
• Easy to breed
• Loud call
• Large
• Can be kept in groups
• A true Dart Frog

Name: Phyllobates terribilis 'Orange Black Foot'. Not a true subspecies, Orange Black Foot terribilis are a unique population/morph/locale of P. terribilis. Commonly called the terrible dart frog due to it being the most toxic vertebrate on the planet. An adult wild Phyllobates terribilis is reportably capable of killing 10-15 adult humans (fortunately, like all dart frogs, captive bred animals are completely nontoxic and harmless). Terribilis are also known as the Golden Poison Dart Frog. In the American frog hobby, P. terribilis are ofen called terribilis or simply terribs.

Recommended Vivarium Size: A 10 gallon aquarium is suitable for a single Phyllobates terribilis 'Orange Black Foot', but Josh's Frogs recommends a 29G or 24x18x18 Vivarium for 1-3 frogs. Not sure how to set up a vivarium? Please watch our video on How to Set Up a Vivarium.

Want to spice up your enclosure with live plants? Our experts have curated kits of easy-to-care-for and SAFE plants for your dart frogs. Check them out here!

Temperature (°F): They can tolerate a temperature range from 65 to 80 degrees, but prefer temperatures in the low to mid 70s. Temperatures over 80 are dangerous. Poison Dart Frogs of the genus Phyllobates are notoriously sensitive to warmer temperatures.

Humidity: Like most poison dart frogs, terribs prefer a humidity range of 70 – 100%, but can tolerate humiditydown to 50% for short periods of time if the frogs have access to water. Low humidity levels, especially without access to water, can quickly be fatal.

Size: Adult female terribilis are larger, measuring in at approximately 2 inches. Male terribs tend to be a bit smaller, averaging about 1.75 inches at maturity. Size is not always a good indication of sex, however - even when dealing with frogs that are several years old!

All of the Phyllobates terribilis 'Orange Black Foot' froglets Josh's Frogs sells are well started juveniles, and measure at least 5/8 of an inch long.

Age: Phyllobates terribilis 'Orange Black Foot' is capable of living well over 20 years in captivity under ideal conditions, although a lifespan of 10 years is more common. All terribs for sale at Josh's Frogs are well started juveniles, and are 2-3 months old.

Feeding: Like most poison dart frogs, young terribilis prefer smaller foods. All of the terribilis Josh's Frogs sells will readily eat Drosophila melanogaster fruit flies. Adult Phyllobates terribilis 'Orange Black Foot' will readily consume Drosophila hydei fruit flies, as well as crickets up to 1/4 inch! Terribilis are very unusual in that they are capable of eating much larger prey items than most other poison dart frogs. All ages of poison dart frogs will enjoy springtails and isopods.

All feeder insects should be dusted with a vitamin/mineral supplement. For more information on what poison dart frogs can eat, please visit our How-To Guide on Feeding Poison Dart Frogs.

Sexing: Phyllobates terribilis 'Orange Black Foot' is a very difficult dart frog to sex. Often, a frog keeper will know they have at least one male due to a loud, trilling call that starts at 8-10 months of age. Males will often display black stretch marks on their throats, as a result of calling and the subsequent stretching of the skin.

Females tend to be larger and bulkier than males, but a frog will often reveal it's sex by laying eggs before their sex can be confirmed visually.

Josh's Frogs sells 2-3 month old juveniles that are not sexable unless otherwise noted. For more information on sexing poison dart frogs, please visit our How-To Guide on Sexing Poison Dart Frogs.

Color/Pattern: Phyllobates terribilis 'Orange Black Foot' are a bit more variable than other terribilis morphs. When young, Orange Black Foot terriblis come out of the water as a mostly black frog with a yellow/orange 'U' shape on their back. As they age, this 'U' spreads and eventually covers 95% or more of the frog's body, with a bit of black remaining around the nostrils, mouth and toes. The amount of black on the frogs' feet can vary tremendously from one individual to another. Some animals may have very little, or even no black!

Josh's Frogs does not recommend, support, or endorse line breeding as we believe this leads to weaker captive animals and nature has done a wonderful job of creating an amazing variation in color and pattern of poison dart frogs already.

Social Behavior: These frogs do well housed in groups as long as enough space is provided. Josh's Frogs recommends approximately 10 gallons per frog. As they reach sexual maturity at 18-24 months of age, the social dynamic in a group of Phyllobates terribilis may change. Sometimes adult female terribilis wille eat each other's eggs, resulting in little/no tadpoles being produced. For that reason, many breeders recommend keeping terribilis in pairs as adults.

Josh's Frogs strongly recommends against housing different species/morphs of dart frogs together - for the health of your pets, please avoid mixing!

Josh's Frogs recommends purchasing multiple frogs if you are interested in breeding them – this greatly increases the chances of getting a pair.

Breeding: Phyllobates terribilis 'Orange Black Foot' are easy to breed once they get going, but breeding activity sometimes takes 2-3 years to begin.

Generally, eggs are deposited on a smooth broad leaf, or on a petri dish under a cocohut. The eggs hatch into tadpoles, which then take 60-80 days to complete metamorphosis into miniature versions of the adults.

For more information on breeding and raising poison dart frogs, please visit our How-To Guide on Breeding Poison Dart Frogs.

Natural Range: Phyllobates terribilis 'Orange Black Foot' naturally occurs along the Pacific coast of Colombia in tropical rainforests with high humidity and annual rainfall. It is estimated that the population of Phyllobates terribilis in the pet trade is several times larger than the wild population at any point in history.

History in the Hobby: The bulk of Phyllobates terribilis present in the United States hobby were imported from Germany in the late 1990s. This morph is newer, having been introduced to the hobby via Tesoros around 2012.

Links of Interest:

• Wikipedia article with basics about the Terrible Dart Frog
• Encyclopedia of Life article on Phyllobates terribilis, including range maps and natural history
• Amphbiaweb Entry on The Gold Poison Arrow Frog

Still not sure if Phyllobates terribilis 'Orange Black Foot' from Josh's Frogs are the right poison dart frog for you? Read the reviews below and see what other customers are saying!