What Animals Can You Keep With Dart Frogs?
Keeping different species of animals in a single enclosure is not only enticing but also difficult. If you already have dart frogs and want to bring other animals, you should check some conditions first. So, the dart frog owners often ask around different frog forums- what animals can I keep with my dart frogs?
Although a few animals are compatible with dart frogs, the experts suggest not keeping any animals with poison dart frogs. However, you can keep geckos, tree frogs, anoles, Bolitoglossa salamanders, etc.
In this article, I’ve shed some light on which animals you can keep with your dart frogs. Besides, you can learn about the conditions of keeping other animals with dart frogs, compatible reptiles for dart frogs, and additional information in this article.
So, let’s dig deep into this article without any further ado.
Can Dart Frogs Live With Other Animals?
Not all frogs love to remain in groups. Although dart frogs are amazing colorful frogs, these frogs are solitary. So, dart frogs love to live alone. Due to having territorial temperament, these frogs get interactive with other animals only in the time of fighting or breeding.
Although poison dart frogs are territorial and solitary, these frogs can live with other animals. In this case, you should select those animals who come from the same habitat in the wild. But, the experts and experienced owners suggest avoiding creating multi-species enclosures.
Before choosing tank mates for dart frogs, you should ensure their compatibility and similar requirements. Make sure that the demands for their temperature and humidity are similar. In addition, you must ensure that dart frogs and the chosen animals will not be threats to each other.
Can You Keep Multiple Species Of Dart Frogs Together?
Besides eye-catchy coloration on the skin, dart frogs are popular for their surprisingly aggressive behavior towards each other. People often wonder whether they can keep multiple dart frogs together.
If your dart frogs are juvenile, you can keep a group of juvenile dart frogs in the same enclosure. But, you should not keep such groups of dart frogs together when your dart frogs become mature.
However, the experts discourage cross-breeding among different species of dart frogs. The offspring of dart frogs from crossbreeding tend to be sterile in maximum time. So, you should not keep multiple species of dart frogs together.
If you want to keep multiple dart frogs together, you should follow two rules. One is keeping individual sexed pairs of dart frogs. Another rule is to keep dart frogs of similar species.
In case you want to keep multiple dart frogs together, you can go through this article.
5 Animals That You Can Keep With Poison Dart Frogs
Poison dart frogs are sensitive to their toxin glands. Check this article to know whether these frogs can kill you.
In addition, the aggressive behavior of dart frogs doesn’t allow any animals to share the same tank with these frogs. I’ve found 5 animals that you can keep with poison dart frogs. Let’s check these out without any further ado.
1. Tree Frogs
Factors | Tree Frogs | Dart Frogs |
---|---|---|
Size | 1.25-2 inches | 1-1.5 inches |
Temperament | Docile | Territorial |
Diet | Insectivores | Insectivores |
Activity Phase | Nocturnal | Diurnal |
Type | Arboreal | Maximum terrestrial |
Optimal Humidity | 60-70% | 70-100% |
Optimal Temperature | 75-85 degrees Fahrenheit | 75-84 degrees Fahrenheit |
Lighting | UVB lighting | No special lighting. But, you can provide Low-level UVB lighting. |
Standing water requirement | Required | Not needed |
If you want to add different frog species to your dart frog tank, you can go for tree frogs. In this case, you should select smaller species of tree frogs to cohabit with dart frogs. When you make dart frogs and tree frogs coexist together, you must maintain proper guidelines and requirements for both frogs.
Maximum species of dart frogs are terrestrial whereas all tree frog species are arboreal. You might doubt whether tree frogs and dart frogs get involved in fights. But, their different phase of activity makes them less confronting with each other.
Tree frogs remain active at night. On the other hand, dart frogs stay awake during day time. So, these frogs will not fight while hunting their prey.
One thing that you must maintain is a high humidity level for dart frogs. On the other hand, dart frogs do not require special lighting like UVB lighting. But, you must keep UVB lighting for tree frogs.
Moreover, the diet of both frogs is similar. So, you will not have to worry about providing different foods for these two different species of frogs.
2. Green Anoles
Factors | Green Anoles | Dart Frogs |
---|---|---|
Size | 5-8 inches | 1-1.5 inches |
Type | Terrestrial | Terrestrial |
Activity Phase | Diurnal | Diurnal |
Temperament | Docile and skittish | Shy and territorial |
Optimal humidity | 60-80% | 70-100% |
Optimal temperature | 75-80 degrees Fahrenheit | 75-84 degrees Fahrenheit |
Lighting | UVB lighting | Low-level UVB lighting |
Diet | Carnivores | Insectivores |
Green anoles are small interactive animals that can do well with dart frogs. These active lizards have skittish nature. So, green anoles can scamper quickly if dart frogs try to bully these animals.
Another similarity between green anoles and dart frogs is their diurnal traits. Besides, these animals are semi-aquatic and terrestrial. You should keep lots of branches and vines in the enclosure if you add anoles with dart frogs.
Besides, green anoles require UVB lighting in a basking spot. Make sure to provide nutritious food with supplementation.
Not only dart frogs but also green anoles come from the tropical rainforest. For this reason, the daytime temperature should remain within 75-82 degrees Fahrenheit in the shared enclosure. Since anoles are pretty docile, these animals can be compatible with dart frogs.
3. Flying Geckos and House Geckos
Factors | Geckos | Dart Frogs |
---|---|---|
Size | 3-6 inches | 1-1.5 inches |
Type | Arboreal | Terrestrial |
Diet | Omnivores | Insectivores |
Temperament | Mild-tempered | Territorial |
Optimal humidity | 70-85% | 80-100% |
Optimal temperature | 77-99 degrees Fahrenheit | 75-84 degrees Fahrenheit |
Lighting | Incandescent heat lamp for daytime, Ceramic bulb for night time | Low-level UVB lighting |
Activity Phase | Nocturnal | Diurnal |
If you want a compatible animal for your dart frog, flying or house geckos will be one of the best options. Although several experts forbid keeping dart frogs and geckos together due to their size variations, there are many successful records of keeping these animals together.
Since these geckos are arboreal, these animals require branches, vines, plants, and other décor items to climb frequently. On the other hand, dart frogs are terrestrial. So, you will need such a tank with higher vertical and larger horizontal space.
Although there are several types of geckos, I recommend choosing flying geckos or house geckos. Since dart frogs are terrestrial, keeping any animals is hard to match their temperament.
For this reason, I choose flying geckos or house geckos due to their different activity time. It will lessen their conflict. Some experts recommend keeping mourning geckos with dart frogs too.
After all, these house geckos and flying geckos are nocturnal. On the contrary, dart frogs can remain active in the daytime. Hence, these animals will not face each other to fight or bully much.
Moreover, you should provide food at both times so that dart frogs and geckos can get a sufficient amount of food. Do not forget to gut load all foods.
4. Mourning Geckos: Can Dart Frogs And Mourning Geckos Live Together?
Factors | Mourning Geckos | Dart Frogs |
---|---|---|
Size | 2.7-3.7 inches | 1-1.5 inches |
Type | Arboreal | Terrestrial |
Diet | Omnivores | Insectivores |
Temperament | Peaceful and docile | Territorial |
Optimal Humidity | Around 80% | 80-100% |
Optimal Temperature | 70-80 degrees Fahrenheit | 75-84 degrees Fahrenheit |
Lighting | UVB lighting | Low-level UVB lighting |
Activity Phase | Nocturnal | Diurnal |
If you want cohabitation of dart frogs and other animals, mourning geckos can be a suitable option. When you pair mourning geckos with dart frogs, you must bring a larger tank. Besides, the tank should be longer in height as well as larger in width.
Due to having different activity periods, the mourning geckos do not have to interact much with the territorial dart frogs. In addition, both animals require around 70-85 degrees Fahrenheit. Also, their demand for humidity is almost similar.
So, mourning geckos can cohabit with dart frogs in the same tank. Although these animals remain active at different times, you should consider the size of dart frogs.
You should not keep smaller dart frog species to cohabit with mourning geckos. Such as thumbnail dart frogs.
5. Bolitoglossa Salamander: Can Salamanders And Dart Frogs Live Together?
Factors | Bolitoglossa salamander | Dart Frog |
---|---|---|
Size | 4-6 inches | 1-1.5 inches |
Type | Arboreal | Terrestrial |
Diet | Carnivores | Insectivores |
Temperament | Friendly and docile | Territorial |
Optimal Humidity | Minimum 70% | 80-100% |
Optimal Temperature | 65-75 degrees Fahrenheit | 75-84 degrees Fahrenheit |
Lighting | Ambient lighting | Low-level UVB lighting |
Activity Phase | Nocturnal | Diurnal |
Not all salamanders can coexist with dart frogs. Salamanders hail from temperate zones, whereas dart frogs belong to tropical areas.
Among different types of salamanders, the Bolitoglossa salamander can live with dart frogs together. These salamanders are tropical salamanders that share similar environmental conditions as dart frogs.
These salamanders require at least 70% moisture in their tank. So, you can keep the average humidity level of 70-80% if you keep the salamander and dart frog together.
Besides, the optimal temperature for Bolitoglossa salamander is around 60-75 degrees Fahrenheit. Moreover, these animals share a similar diet to dart frogs.
You will not have much trouble feeding your salamander daily. If your Bolitoglossa salamander is an adult, 2-3 times feeding a week will be sufficient. Because of being nocturnal, you have to feed your salamander at night. On the other hand, you should leave food for your dart frogs during day time.
Lastly, salamanders are not territorial at all. Although these amphibians can grow up to 4-6 inches, these animals do not hurt your tiny dart frogs.
Can Dart Frogs And Crested Geckos Live Together?
Although there are several suggestions for geckos to keep with dart frogs, crested geckos are not compatible with dart frogs. You should not keep crested geckos in the tank of dart frogs.
The requirements of these two animals do not match each other. Crested geckos thrive well in the humidity range of 50-60%. On the other hand, dart frogs require a high humidity level in their tank.
So, you can not allow air circulation in the tank of a dart frog. On the contrary, your crested geckos will suffer from respiratory infection if there doesn’t remain sufficient air circulation.
Moreover, crested geckos tend to eat all types of foods. Sometimes, these omnivore animals bite human hands by considering them as food.
If you compare their size, you’ll look a huge difference between these two animals. Crested geckos can be 6-10 inches, whereas dart frogs can grow up to only 1.5 inches. So, there remains a huge risk of gobbling up your dart frogs by crested geckos.
Can Dart Frogs Live With Leopard Geckos?
You shouldn’t cohabit leopard geckos with dart frogs. The main reason for not keeping them together is their different humidity requirement.
Dart frogs require the fullest humidity whereas leopard geckos thrive well in a dry environment. The optimal humidity for leopard geckos is only 30-40%.
Moreover, adult leopard geckos can reach up to 7.1-11 inches. So, these leopard geckos can be threats to your tiny dart frogs. You can pay a visit to this article to know about how big dart frogs can get.
Can Dart Frogs And Chameleons Live Together?
You should not make cohabitation of dart frogs and chameleons in a tank. Their demands and requirements are pretty opposite.
For example- chameleons thrive well in the humidity range of 50%. On the other hand, you must keep the tank 80-100% humid for your dart frogs.
Besides, a chameleon can reach up to 7-15 inches. So, the lives of your tiny dart frogs are at risk when you keep dart frogs with chameleons together.
Final Words
I hope this article gave you a clear idea about which pets you can keep with your dart frogs. If you decide to bring the new animal into the enclosure of dart frogs, you must ensure the requirements of both animals.
About Author
Hello, I’m Muntaseer Rahman, the owner of AcuarioPets.com. I’m passionate about aquarium pets like shrimps, snails, crabs, and crayfish. I’ve created this website to share my expertise and help you provide better care for these amazing pets.
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