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All about the Amazing Azureus

If you look at them, it seems as if the sky casts its shadow on the aptly named Azureus, the lovely blue colored tree frogs. You might be tempted to touch these cute little creatures, but do not as they are poisonous enough to protect themselves and kill their predators.

Also known as blue poison dart frogs, they are favorites to keep as pets. In addition to being beautiful, they are easy to breed, and so are suitable for a person who is new to keeping frogs. There is a lot to learn about these dart frogs from the forests of the Sipaliwini savannah in Suriname, bordering Brazil.

Life of an Azureus

Tagged with the biological name Dendrobates azureus, this tree frog attains a maximum length of approximately 4 inches, 8 grams in weight and lives up to about 5 years in the wild, and 10 to 12 years in captivity. The bright blue skin with poisonous glands acts as a warning and forms a defense mechanism against its enemies.  Each tree frog has a unique identification of black spots on its skin, and the females are different from males by having a slightly larger body but smaller feet with four round-tipped toes. This is in comparison to the larger and heart-shaped-tipped toes of the males, which are flattened and contain suction cup pads at the ends for gripping purposes.

The typically hunch-backed Azureus are mostly found on land, though near water sources. They are also seen in trees at times, as high as 5 m above the ground. They have a peculiar way of choosing mates, with the female producing half a dozen or more eggs after mating, which hatch and make their journey from tadpole to adult in about two years.

Taking Care of Azureus

Azureus tree frogs are basically insectivores. This means they feed on insects such as ants, caterpillars, rice flour beetle larvae, springtails, termites, and spiders, as well as non-insect arthropods, thus playing an important role in the rainforest ecosystem. Interestingly, the poison level decreases in Azureus when in captivity, as the food intake mainly consists of fruit flies and crickets, which do not include toxic compounds. Despite being aggressive, territorial, and solitary animals, it is best to keep them in pairs or captivity. It is essential to give them a perfect environment by using suitable substrates, proper drainage, appropriate plants, ample hiding places, de-chlorinated tap water, and shallow water level in a 20-gallon minimum capacity aquarium, with 70 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit temperatures.

The decline of rainforests, due to fires or conversion into farmlands by humans, and the illegal pet trade are causing the numbers of these blue poison dart frogs to decline and threatening their existence. Efforts are being made by organizations and individuals to save the rare species of Azureus, breeding them in captivity to increase their population.