Author not known
July 1998
I have read many accounts of interspecific aggression occurring between frogs of similar colour or belonging to the same genus, and have experienced this aggression between tropical fish. Conversely, Hesselhaus shows photographs of Dendrobates pumilio fighting with D. tinctorius, neither being similar in size or colour. So, I was rather worried when I had to find alternative accommodation for two Phyllobates vittatus frogs when their tank started to leak. Having seen the combination of animals kept by both Mick Bajcar and Kevin Du Rose, I put them in with a trio of Grey legged D. tinctorius, as their tank was heavily planted with bromeliads. I also added a cluster of empty film containers for them to hide in and spent the next two hours watching for signs of aggression between the species. Over the following three weeks, I noticed that the vittatus were more active and visible than before. The Grey legs - which were considerably larger animals - would sit peacefully side by side with the P. vittatus whilst eating wax moth larvae from a Petri dish. When the largest female Grey leg wanted the vittatus to clear off, she would give it a gentle back-hander, or a soft push away. I even observed her climbing over the vittatus when pursuing crickets. |
I put the species together only because I did not believe that there would be any possibility of them interbreeding. As my D. tinctorius are predominantly terrestrial and the vittatus mostly arboreal, there appears to be a fair chance of them getting on together. I know that E. tricolor can be safely housed with D. auratus and D. tinctorius, but which other safe combinations have other members experienced? By safe, I mean unlikely to prejudice breeding.
Faxed article: regrettably, the author was not recorded.
Niloufar Getman
November 2000
Last update: 17 August, 2002
Having
read the July 1998 article - Mix and Match 1 by an unknown author
where a group of Phyllobates vittatus was mixed with Dendrobates tinctorius,
I wanted to share my experiences. I have 4 P. vittatus in a set-up that
they share with a pair of D. leucomelas. There is plenty of singing all
day long and I assume they are all breeding age.
Phyllobates vittatus
When the vittatus were originally added to the group they were considerably smaller than the leucomelas and, if anything, they appeared to be very comfortable in the company of the larger frogs. If there was to be any aggression I would have expected it from the leucomelas, as they were there first and had set up their territories in the best spots.
Dendrobates tinctorius FG
But to my surprise, the vittatus evicted the larger leucomelas from their favourite bromeliads and I have since seen them perform what can only be described as elaborate, ritualised press-ups followed by shoulder rubbing with the leucomelas. This happens once or twice a week and the leucomelas appear to put up with the youngsters' antics with patience and grace! For the majority of the time they are all quite happy to sit, hunt and eat together with no signs of hostility.
Has anyone else experienced similar harmless but entertaining showdowns in their mixed groups?
