Blue Azureus Dart Frog (Dendrobates tinctorius ‘Azureus’) For Sale

The Azureus is the frog most people picture when they hear “poison dart frog” — a deep cobalt body broken by black spotting, and one of the boldest, most visible frogs in the hobby. It is a colour form of Dendrobates tinctorius from a small savannah-forest region of southern Suriname.

What you are getting

Captive bred. Every dart frog we sell is captive produced, and for this family that is not a marketing line — it is the whole safety story. Wild dart frogs get their alkaloids from a very specific diet of mites, ants and other small arthropods. Captive frogs eat fruit flies and springtails, never acquire those compounds, and are harmless. We set the science out in why poison dart frogs are not poisonous in captivity.

D. tinctorius is a large, heavy-bodied dart frog by the standards of the family, reaching roughly 4–4.5 cm, and it is confident in a way smaller species are not. Azureus spend much of the day in the open rather than hiding, which is exactly what you want in an animal bought to be looked at.

Temperament and housing

Bold, diurnal and active. Tinctorius females can be territorial with each other, so a group needs a generously sized, heavily planted vivarium with broken sightlines — or keep them singly, which suits this species perfectly well.

These are display animals for a planted, bioactive vivarium: constant humidity, deep leaf litter, a working cleanup crew and no standing heat source. Full husbandry is in dart frog care, and the hardscape and substrate side is in terrarium supplies. Isopods and springtails are the cleanup crew and double as supplemental food.

Provenance and paperwork

The family Dendrobatidae is listed on CITES Appendix II, which regulates international trade. It does not restrict ordinary keeping or domestic sale in the US, but it is part of why we state provenance on every listing rather than rounding it up to the friendliest word available — see about Terrarium Station.

How it ships

Offered as 1 Count, 2 Count or 3 Count. Juvenile dart frogs cannot be sexed externally, so we sell them as counts rather than as sexed pairs — anyone promising you a guaranteed male and female at this size is guessing. Everything ships under our live arrival guarantee.

Common questions

Are captive bred Azureus dart frogs poisonous?

No. Dart frogs do not manufacture their toxins — they accumulate them from a specialised wild diet. A captive-bred frog fed fruit flies and springtails has never had access to those compounds and is harmless.

How big do Azureus dart frogs get?

Around 4 to 4.5 cm as adults, which makes them one of the larger and more substantial dart frogs commonly kept.

Are Azureus good for a beginner?

Yes, among dart frogs. They are hardy, bold and visible, and the main requirement is a stable, humid, planted vivarium rather than any difficult technique.

Can I keep several Azureus together?

Only in a large, densely planted enclosure with plenty of broken sightlines. Females of this species can be territorial with one another, and a single frog does perfectly well.

What do Azureus dart frogs eat?

Flightless fruit flies as the staple, supplemented with springtails and other micro-feeders, dusted with a quality vitamin and mineral supplement.

{“@context”: “https://schema.org”, “@type”: “FAQPage”, “mainEntity”: [{“@type”: “Question”, “name”: “Are captive bred Azureus dart frogs poisonous?”, “acceptedAnswer”: {“@type”: “Answer”, “text”: “No. Dart frogs do not manufacture their toxins — they accumulate them from a specialised wild diet. A captive-bred frog fed fruit flies and springtails has never had access to those compounds and is harmless.”}}, {“@type”: “Question”, “name”: “How big do Azureus dart frogs get?”, “acceptedAnswer”: {“@type”: “Answer”, “text”: “Around 4 to 4.5 cm as adults, which makes them one of the larger and more substantial dart frogs commonly kept.”}}, {“@type”: “Question”, “name”: “Are Azureus good for a beginner?”, “acceptedAnswer”: {“@type”: “Answer”, “text”: “Yes, among dart frogs. They are hardy, bold and visible, and the main requirement is a stable, humid, planted vivarium rather than any difficult technique.”}}, {“@type”: “Question”, “name”: “Can I keep several Azureus together?”, “acceptedAnswer”: {“@type”: “Answer”, “text”: “Only in a large, densely planted enclosure with plenty of broken sightlines. Females of this species can be territorial with one another, and a single frog does perfectly well.”}}, {“@type”: “Question”, “name”: “What do Azureus dart frogs eat?”, “acceptedAnswer”: {“@type”: “Answer”, “text”: “Flightless fruit flies as the staple, supplemented with springtails and other micro-feeders, dusted with a quality vitamin and mineral supplement.”}}]}