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HomeAny CategoryLive AnimalsFrogsPoison Dart FrogsDendrobates tinctorius 'Azureus' | Blue Poison Dart Frog (Captive Bred)

Dendrobates tinctorius 'Azureus' | Blue Poison Dart Frog (Captive Bred)

$49.99

5.0 out of 5 stars

 (105)

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About This Product

Defining Characteristics:

  • Great beginner frog
  • Bright blue coloration
  • Bold
  • Easy to breed
  • Quiet call
  • Large
  • Can be kept in groups when young
  • Best kept in pairs as adults

Name: Dendrobates tinctorius 'Azureus'. Formerly known as Dendrobates azureus until genetic testing proved D. azureus was another population of Dendrobates tinctorius. Commonly called the Sky Blue Poison Dart Frog, Blue Poison Arrow Frog, or the Dyeing Poison Dart Frog (based on an early belief that natives used brightly colored frogs to dye fabric).

Recommended Vivarium Size & Setup: A 10 gallon aquarium is suitable for a single Dendrobates tinctorius 'Azureus', but Josh's Frogs recommends a 20H or 18x18x18 glass terrarium for 1-3 frogs.

ABG mix or Josh's Frogs Dart Frog BioBedding in conjunction with our other bioactive layers (false bottomsubstrate barriersphagnum moss and leaf litter) are great substrate options for your dart frog setup! Both of these mixes support microfauna populations, which help break down waste and mold within the tank.

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!

Not sure how to set up a vivarium? Check out this video: Dart Frog Vivarium Set Up - Start to Finish

Temperature (°F): They can tolerate a temperature range of 65 to 80 degrees, but prefer temperatures in the low to mid 70s. Temperatures over 85° are dangerous.

Measure temps with a digital thermometer.

Humidity: Like most poison dart frogs, Azureus prefer a humidity range of 70–100%, but can tolerate humidity down 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.

Measure humidity with a digital hygrometer.

Size: Adult female Azureus are larger, measuring in at approximately 2 inches. Male Azureus are a bit smaller, averaging about 1.5 inches at maturity.

All of the Dendrobates tinctorius 'Azureus' froglets Josh's Frogs sells are well started juveniles, and measure at least 5/8 inch long.

Age: Dendrobates tinctorius 'Azureus' is capable of living well over 20 years in captivity under ideal conditions, although a lifespan of 10 years is more common. In the wild, it is thought that Azureus may live 4-6 years.

All Azureus for sale at Josh's Frogs are well started juveniles, and are 2-3 months old.

Feeding: Like most poison dart frogs, Azureus poison dart frogs prefer smaller foods. All of the tinctorius dart frogs Josh's Frogs sells will readily eat Drosophila melanogaster fruit flies.

Adult Azureus will readily consume Drosophila hydei fruit flies and pinhead crickets. 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 read our blog: Feeding Dart Frogs: What, How Often, and How Much?

Sexing: Dendrobates tinctorius 'Azureus' is not sexable until 10-12 months of age. Male Azureus tend to be smaller than females, which often appear both longer and wider. Males also tend to have wider front toe pads and a less defined back arch than females.

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 see our blogs: How to Visually Sex Dart Frogs: Part I & How to Visually Sex Dart Frogs: Part II

Color/Pattern: An extremely variable poison dart frog, all Dendrobates tinctorius 'Azureus' are mostly blue in color with a spattering of black spots. The blue can range from a very dark, deep blue to a light sky blue in some individuals. Spots can be large in some individual Azureus, but generally are less than 1 cm across. 'Fine Spot' or 'Small Spot' lines of Dendrobates tinctorius 'Azureus' have been created by line breeding.

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 up until sexual maturity, as long as enough space is provided. Josh's Frogs recommends approximately 10 gallons per frog.

As they reach sexual maturity at 10-12 months of age, the social dynamic in a group of Dendrobates tinctorius may change, and all but one female may need to be removed. Female D. tinctorius may fight with each other over a mate. For that reason, many breeders recommend keeping Azureus in pairs as adults.

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

Breeding: Azureus are very simple and easy to breed. Like most Dendrobates, Azureus are best bred in pairs, as adult females may fight with each other in the presence of a male. 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 read our blog: 5 Tips for Breeding Dart Frogs

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

Natural Range: Dendrobates tinctorius 'Azureus' is native to a very limited range in the Sipaliwini Savanna, located in southern Suriname. This large grassland is punctuated by 'forest islands'—isolated pockets of jungle that occur along streams—where Azureus are found. It is estimated that the population of Azureus in the pet trade is several times larger than the wild population at any point in history.

History in the Hobby: Discovered in 1968, Dendrobates tinctorius 'Azureus' were imported for the first time in 1970. Most Azureus descend from imports in the 1980s and early 1990s. Many lines exist in the hobby, generally reflecting individual imports from Suriname or Europe. All Azureus in the pet trade descend from one population in the wild, and can safely be bred together. Josh's Frogs works with several lines of Dendrobates tinctorius 'Azureus', and pairs different lines with each other to maintain genetic variability in the frogs we sell.

Links of Interest:

Shipping

After placing an order containing a live animal, you will receive a scheduling email containing our JotForm scheduling link to schedule your new pet's delivery date.

With this scheduling link, you will be able to schedule your order's delivery up to 30 days in advance. You will be able to choose a date of delivery for Tuesday-Saturday (Saturday arrival depends on the carrier's service availability) with the estimated time of arrival generally being 12pm, or 4:30pm for more rural areas. Overnight lows must be above 40°F to ship directly to you (or above 30°F for FedEx Ship Center pickups) as well as below 90°F by estimated time of arrival.

If you require further assistance, or prefer to talk to one of our Customer Service agents, please feel free to reach out to our [email protected] email or our phone line 1-800-691-8178.

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Reviews

Lucky the Tortoise

5.0 out of 5 stars

Colorful and very healthy!

I picked up my 2 Azureus at the Arlington NARBC on February 15th, and they’re already active and eating well!

Connor

5.0 out of 5 stars

Beautiful frog

Very easy to care for with the rarest of colors.

I8Godzilla

5.0 out of 5 stars

Great Purchase

I ordered my Azureus in October of 2015. It has now been almost five months and it is thriving and growing fast. Very active and was a nice addition to another Azureus in my this vivarium.

Sarah

5.0 out of 5 stars

Awesome Azureus!

Received two of these little guys today - they look amazing and have been very active! They each ate a couple of melanogaster right after arrival (yay!) and have also been chowing down on springtails & exploring their new home nonstop. Very happy! :)

Buddha B

5.0 out of 5 stars

Great frogs

As soon as I opened em, they were beautiful hold frogs. Perfectly packed and a pleasure to look at. Because of Josh's Frogs, my co-workers are ordering theirs next week

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