Lovely poison frog (Phyllobates lugubris)

Short answers

Lovely poison frog: How big does the enclosure need to be?

40×40×50 cm for a pair, planted.

Lovely poison frog: What temperature does it need?

Daytime 22–26 °C, basking spot No basking spot — direct heat is harmful, at night 18–21 °C.

Lovely poison frog: Does it need UVB lighting?

UVB: Weak UVB recommended (UVB 2.0), no strong lamp.

Lovely poison frog: How long do they live?

Life expectancy: 8–15 years.

Lovely poison frog: Is it suitable for beginners?

Rather not – it is considered an intermediate species (difficulty: Intermediate).

Climate

Daytime temperature

22–26 °C

Night temperature

18–21 °C

Basking spot

No basking spot — direct heat is harmful

Humidity

80–95 %, mist daily

UVB

Weak UVB recommended (UVB 2.0), no strong lamp

Enclosure

Minimum size

40×40×50 cm for a pair, planted

Substrate

Forest-floor substrate with a drainage layer, moss, leaf litter, bromeliads and film canisters as spawning sites

Feeding

Food

Springtails, fruit flies and aphids, dusted regularly with calcium and vitamins

Feeding interval

adults daily to every other day

Key facts

Adult size

1,8–2,4 cm

Life expectancy

8–15 years

Origin

Costa Rica and Panama

Protection status

CITES II — proof of origin required

Brumation

No winter rest, at most a short dry spell to trigger breeding

Cohabitation

Keeping a pair (1.1) is the easiest to oversee and the least stressful for these small, rather secretive frogs. A small group is possible, as the species is considered only slightly territorial; drawback: in the dense leaf litter it is hard to see whether one frog loses out at feeding time. Raise juveniles apart from the adults and never mix with other Phyllobates species (risk of hybridisation).

Notes

The smallest Phyllobates species. As with all poison dart frogs, captive-bred animals are non-toxic — the toxin comes from the wild diet.

Do you keep this species?

Add your animal to Reptoria – Reptoria reminds you about feeding and shedding. Add your animal for free →

Look for Lovely poison frog (Phyllobates lugubris) in the marketplace →

Related species

• Golden poison frog (Phyllobates terribilis) – Beginner to intermediate
• Golfodulcean poison frog (Phyllobates vittatus) – Beginner
• Kokoe poison frog (Phyllobates aurotaenia) – Intermediate
• Black-legged poison frog (Phyllobates bicolor) – Intermediate
• Yellow-bellied poison frog (Ameerega hahneli) – Intermediate
• Anthony's poison frog (Hyloxalus nexipus) – Intermediate
• Bassler's poison frog (Ameerega bassleri) – Intermediate
• Poison frogs (Ranitomeya amazonica) – Intermediate

All species in the care wiki →

What you need to start

To keep Lovely poison frog (Phyllobates lugubris) you typically need: a suitable enclosure (40×40×50 cm for a pair, planted), substrate (Forest-floor substrate with a drainage layer, moss, leaf litter, bromeliads and film canisters as spawning sites), a heat source with a thermostat, UVB lighting, thermometer and hygrometer, a water dish and hides. You will find equipment in the Reptoria marketplace.