Dart Frog Community set-up Pictures

Hi Ian
Thanks for putting all that information on the dart frogs it was great reading about them.
I enjoyed the video with the dart frogs very actice little guys. Just one little question have you
ever had any cross breeding on them.I read somewhere before that with cross breeding they sometimes
grow extra limbs cant remember what the condition is called.Once again really enjoyed the read.
thank you
Keitho

A parasitic Flatworm burrows into the soft cell structure of Tadpoles literally melting into the the Skin and causing disturbances to the development of cells responsible for the development of buds that lead to development of, or lack of legs or production of malformed appendages.

Kev.

Amphibian development is quite fascinating... in fact almost everything about amphibians is fascinating.

I've not personally experienced any re-growth of limbs in any of my dendrobates....but it is well documented in amphibians.

Dart frogs, in particular, are prone to a rather devastating development that places some problems within captive breeding.
A tadpole can grow and seem totally normal until the time of morphing to a froglet....and it is at that stage that you may find out the 3 to 6 month wait has been fruitless.
Dart Frogs often develop what is called 'Spindle Leg' (some species more prone than others).
The front legs do not develop, and the froglet does not usually live long after it has morphed.

There is a link to malformation within the brain that seems to be very similar to spina bifida in humans.
Various things have a role in this condition that include pre-disposition, UV light levels and diet of the parents, and diet of the tadpoles. I believe that the UV and Diet of the parents is the chief factor (notwithstanding a pre-disposition added to that).
I'm looking into methods of reducing spindle leg.

@Keitho... these frogs in the community will not breed. So there is no worry there.
However, some of those particular species can inter-breed and produce viable offspring. That is something that I frown upon as dart frogs should not be hybridised between species nor between different geographical locations of a given species.
So anyone every wanting to produce a community tank needs to make sure the animals are same sex, or that conditions are such as to completely abrogate breeding (eg pressure changes). On the other hand, if a hybrid were ever produced then it should not be allowed out of a tank.

As Kev indicates, there are other problems in frog development.

ian