The captive management and breeding of poison-dart frogs, family dendrobatidae, at Jersey Wildlife Preservation Trust

The Jersey Wildlife Preservation Trust (JWPT) started work with the green and black poison-dart frog Dendrobates auratus in 1994. The acquisition of this species of dendrobatid, for use as a model species, was in direct response to the initiation by Edinburgh Zoo of a Federation of Zoological Gardens of Great Britain and Ireland Joint Management of Species Programme for the threatened blue poison-dart frog, D. azureus. Dendrobates auratus, a relatively common and widely kept poison-dart frog, was used as a model species as staff in the JWPT Gaherty Reptile and Amphibian Conservation Centre had no prior experience in the management of dendrobatid frogs. Following considerable success and experience with the model species, the target species D. azureus was added to the collection in 1995. This rare species proved relatively straightforward to maintain and breed, building on the knowledge and skills gained during the previous year with D. auratus. The expertise developed in maintaining and managing these two species of poison-dart frog has equipped us for future management of other members of the family Dendrobatidae and similar species.