Every month, we will be featuring a different frog with expanded information and special prices. Please check back monthly to find out what will be the next Frog of the Month.

The frog for July is Suriname Cobalt form of Dendrobates tinctorius.   Cobalt D. tinctorius that originate from Suriname can be found in different areas of the country.  Currently, wild caught specimens are still being allowed out of Suriname, but the recent influx of tinctorius forms coming in, has caused a lot of confusion with this species.  In the past, Suriname Cobalt tincs have been called Table Mountain tinctorius.  Importers have said that Table Mountain does not actually have a population of Cobalt tinctorius.  Because most of the export has been done through the commercial trade, it is possible that false collection sites were given to confuse other collectors, just as the first “Sipaliwini” tinctorius that came in years ago, were not actually from the Sipaliwini area.  With the recent importations came another form of D. tinctorius, also called Table Mountain.  To add to this confusion, there are different collection sites for “Cobalt” tinctorius, and it is possible that these sites do not overlap in range.  The different populations can also appear different in size and appearance.  Unfortunately, they are all coming in as simply “Cobalt” D. tinctorius.  These should also not be confused with Brazilian Cobalts, which is yet, another form

D. tinctorius 'Suriname Cobalt'

D.tinctorius 'Suriname Cobalt'

D. tinctorius should be kept between 75 – 85 degrees.  Breeding D. tinctorius is best done in pairs.  Females of this species can be aggressive towards each other, and can cause serious injury or death, if allowed to fight for too long.  If given enough space, this can sometimes be avoided, however, we feel that it is better to be safe, than sorry.  Mature males of this species can be easily recognized when compared to a female by the enlarged toe pads on the males, combined with the overall smaller size of the males.  Females will be significantly larger than the males.  D. tinctorius will breed in a bower, as will most frogs in this group of Dendrobatids, which includes D. azureus and D. auratus.  The male’s call is a very soft, metallic buzz, similar to D. azureus.  Courtship is often evidenced by the male calling to the female as she strokes his back.  Placing a petri dish under a coconut shell is a good way to encourage them to lay the eggs where they can be easily found.  Once the eggs are fertilized, they can be removed, and the tadpoles can be raised individually on a diet of high quality tropical fish food.
 
D. tinctorius is a striking frog.  It has been on of the “standards” in the Dart Frog Hobby, and one of the most frequently photographed Dart Frogs.  Their coloration makes it an ideal “postcard” model, and their behavior in the terrarium makes them excellent display animals.   Cobalt tincs are large, bold, hardy, and breed well in captivity, and would be an excellent choice for any hobbyist to keep.