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 November is the Solid Orange form of Dendrobates galactonotus. D. galactonotus has several different forms that are available in the hobby. Most of the forms in the U.S. hobby are identified by the confusing method of assigning a percentage number to the amount of coloration on the frog’s back. For example, there is a form called “75% Orange”. This is to infer that 75% of the frogs back will be covered by the orange coloration. There is another form being called 95% Orange. These frogs are an entirely different form of D. galactonotus. The forms are distinctly different, and people should not confuse the two forms because of individual variability which may cause a 95% Orange form to have less than 95% coverage, or vice-versa in the 75% Orange form. The Solid Orange form is another distinctly different form. Solid Orange D. galactonotus is not the result of a 95% Orange frog that just happened to get more orange.

Solid Orange Adult

Solid Orange D. galactonotus are considerably larger than most of the other D. galactonotus forms. At a glance, they can resemble Orange Phyllobates terribilis. Their coloration can vary from a deep pumpkin orange to a lighter shade of almost yellow-orange. As adults, the orange coloration covers the entire frog, except for their toes. Although they have been bred in Europe for some time, they have been rarely bred in the U.S. Breeding takes place in a bower, where the female will lay eggs that are usually white or tan in color. The male’s call is a soft, but long and drawn out, metallic buzz. The tadpoles seem to require a higher protein diet than other, closely related Dendrobatids such as. D. tinctorius. This can be accomplished by using live foods and/or freeze-dried bloodworms in their diet. They are also very susceptible to developmental problems if their water temperature is not monitored. Temperatures that are too cold seem to contribute to Short-femur development in the froglets. The water temperature should be kept in the mid to upper 70’s F (23-26 degrees C.). The froglets that emerge grow rapidly, and develop their color quickly.

Solid Orange devoloping tadpoles

Solid Orange Froglet

Solid Orange D. galactonotus is a rarity in the U.S. hobby. Pictures never do this frog justice. They are large, bold, and bright orange, and can be easily seen in the terrarium, as their coloration makes them stand out. We would highly recommend this frog for all hobbyists.