SpeciesMimic poison dart frog
Mimic poison dart frog
Ranitomeya imitator
Barely two centimetres, and the first amphibian species in which monogamous pairs were demonstrated genetically. Both parents care for the brood; the female feeds the tadpoles with unfertilised eggs.
- Group
- Amphibian
- Level
- Intermediate
- Origin
- South America
Where the species comes from
- World region
- South America
- Countries
- Northern Peru, San Martín region
- Habitat
- Montane rainforest, bromeliads at mid height
The app does not yet hold an origin entry for this species. The distribution given here comes from the specialist literature.
The natural habitat is the yardstick for how you furnish an enclosure. Knowing where an animal comes from is knowing why it needs heat zones, hides and a particular humidity.
Husbandry at a glance
The same details appear in the animal’s profile inside the app.
- Enclosure
- 45 × 45 × 60 cm for a pair, densely planted.
- Temperature
- 21–25 °C, 19 °C at night.
- Humidity
- 90–100 %.
- Lighting
- Good plant lighting, twelve hours.
- Substrate
- Drainage layer with soil, leaf litter and moss.
- Furnishings
- Plenty of bromeliads and film canisters as laying sites: Essential for the brood care.
- Water
- Small water section, softened water.
- Feeding
- Daily the smallest fruit flies and springtails.
- Behaviour
- Diurnal, calls softly, lives in pairs. Both parents care for the tadpoles.
- Handling
- Do not handle.
- Cohabitation
- Strictly in pairs. A second female destroys the clutches.
- Health
- Very sensitive to drying out because of its small size.
- Seasonal cycle
- A steady climate; no pronounced dry season.
- Safety
- No permit required. Captive-bred animals are not poisonous.
Legal position in Switzerland
No permit foreseen
No permit required. The species does not belong to any of the groups listed in Art. 89 of the Swiss Animal Welfare Ordinance
No certificate of competence foreseen
No proof of competence required. It is only demanded for the animals named in Art. 89 of the Ordinance
Species protection applies
CITES Appendix II: Import and transfer only with papers. When buying, ask for proof of origin and captive breeding
Minimum enclosure dimensions
Annex 2, table 6 of the Animal Welfare Ordinance does not prescribe centimetres but multiples of body length. For this species, item 4 (Arboreal poison dart frogs): floor area 20 × 10 body lengths, height 25 body lengths. The floor area applies to at most two animals; each further animal requires an additional 10 × 2 body lengths.
For this group, body length means the total length of the animal, from snout to the end of the body. The largest animal in the enclosure is what counts. The enclosure may not be smaller even if fewer animals live in it than the table names.
| Total length | At least |
|---|---|
| 1.5 cm | 30 × 15 × 38 cm |
| 2 cm | 40 × 20 × 50 cm |
| 2.5 cm | 50 × 25 × 63 cm |
For amphibians the height is an average: the enclosure may be higher or lower in places.
Animals may temporarily be kept in smaller enclosures: for quarantine, for the treatment of illness and injury, for acclimatisation, for breeding and rearing, and for winter or cold dormancy (note a to table 6).
This is the legal lower limit, not a recommendation. An enclosure that meets exactly these dimensions is permitted, but not good for that reason. The details under “Husbandry at a glance” describe how the enclosure should be furnished, not how small it may be.
What the enclosure must provide
Permanently high humidity without waterlogging, clean water, dense planting with a hide and bromeliads. Amphibian skin absorbs substances directly: No contact with cleaning agents or unwashed hands.
Paperwork
Keep the purchase contract and proof of origin. Use the scientific name to check CITES and import status reliably.
These details are a guide, not legal advice. Binding information comes from the cantonal veterinary office; the text of the ordinance is what counts. More on the legal position
