sylvatica prices on

The following information is mainly from WIKIRI and a few other online sources.

Oophaga sylvaticus was once included under histrionicus species but was recognized as it's own valid species in the Dendrobatidae family in 1999.  They are found in southwestern Columbia to northwestern Ecuador.

O. sylvatica are a moderately large, males slightly smaller than females. Size typically ranges from 26mm-38mm.  The male calls, when it reaches maturity, to attracts females. Coloration and patterns varies depending on the locale. Patterns can range from dots to marbling. Colouration is mainly a solid background of black, grey, brown, or orange with patterns in varying colours (white, yellow, orange, red, green). 

O. sylvatica are generally found in forests, remnants of forests and banana plantations where there is high precipitation.

Around 1 year of age, O. sylvatica become sexually mature. They will reproduce year round in nature. Males establish territories and call from exposed sites almost all day long. They will guard their territories aggressively from all but females they can court. The male will guide a female to a suitable spawning site in moist leaf litter. The female will care for the clutch and will move the tadpoles to their own "pool" generally in the leaf axils of a bromeliad. The female will care for the tadpole until it morphs and climbs out of the bromeliad. The tadpoles are given unfertilized eggs from the female as it's sole food source unless another tadpole is placed with it and then it will cannibalize it.

Metamorphosis takes about 2 months. The young froglet takes after it's parents in appearance. They eat springtails, small isopods, small crickets, small aphids, small and large fruit flies.

Housing O. sylvatica in captivity should be either in pairs or with one male and 2 females. They should be kept in the largest terrarium possible, a tall terrarium is best. It should be a fairly wet environment, have a lot of caves and hiding areas as well as a small pond area. Leaves should be kept damp. Coconut huts with petri dishes make suitable breeding areas. Humidity should be high and in breeding season should be above 90%. Day temperatures should be above 23C, below that will usually prohibit breeding. Temperatures above 27C is intolerable for most species. 

After misting, males will be more vocal, as with in the wild, they will call all day long. Females are choosey about their mate and usually take a full year to acclimatize. Once the female accepts t he male they lay clutches from 2-10 eggs usually on a smooth surface under a coconut hut or other hide. The female will only water them occasionally. 

Once hatched the female will carry her tadpoles to a new location, usually in a bromeliad and raise them there. The tadpoles are best left in the terrarium with the mother to fed them. There is usually a low annual output of offspring as so much depends on the care given by the female. It is possible to raise an O. sylvatica tadpole on eggs from other frogs, particularly other Oophaga, but with limited success.

Our thanks to WIKIRI for most of this information.