[mywholeeternity]

Hey everyone.

I've recently gotten back into plants (especially orchids) pretty hard and I've taken notice that a large divide in keeping plants is the temperature variance (or at least the day to night variance). There are so many ferns, orchids, etc that really don't excel in our terrariums due to the constant warm temps. Although we have the means to simulate these conditions the best we can (and I know there are plenty of threads about creating a cool terrarium....before the thread police show up), many of these species prefer those temps swing into even the 50's to really flourish which are temps that might be getting a bit too low to really keep most frogs.

TLDR: Can anyone point me in the direction of species that might match up well with these conditions? Ones that also are high elevation, cold night loving amphibians? I'm mostly asking for dendrobatid responses but even other families, mantellas, and salamanders are accepted.

I'm aware that mantellas like it a bit cooler then dendros I believe. I know some oophaga like maybe histrionicus prefer cool temps, and I believe lamasi as well?

....any ummmmm.... slightly more common maybe a tad LESS pricey guys than the last two mentions would be preferred haha.




STILL TLDR: FROGS THAT WILL LIKE IT SIGNIFICANTLY COOLER IN TANKS SO THEY MATCH MY ORCHIDS PREFERED CONDITIONS/ NIGHT TIME CONDITIONS.

 

[Spaff]

highland sirensis, silverstonei (actually most Ameerega), anthonyi, tricolor, and many Atelopus species are where I'd start researching first.

 

[charoozz520]

Are you set on only frogs? I have some highland Nepenthes species which also require low temperatures and I have been looking into turning it into a vivarium with Salamanders, especially Arboreal Salamanders (Aneides sp.).

Here's a link on them: Marc Staniszewski's Arboreal Salamander Care Sheet

The generally require temperatures in the 50s-60s which I think would be perfect for such a setup.

 

[mywholeeternity]

I thought I read somewhere (maybe the caresheet on here) that variabilis are of a higher elevation and therefore prefer cooler temps as well in comparison to the imitators that mimic them... but before maybe going in that direction I wanted to make sure of which variabilis locale they were referring to if not both?
Are both the Southern variabilis AND the other locale (nominal?...) higher elevation frogs?

Thank you for your responses btw. I know a local guy that has red trivs but from what I'm seeing it looks like maybe trivs are one of the only lowland ameerega

 

[mywholeeternity]

Are you set on only frogs? I have some highland Nepenthes species which also require low temperatures and I have been looking into turning it into a vivarium with Salamanders, especially Arboreal Salamanders (Aneides sp.).

Here's a link on them: Marc Staniszewski's Arboreal Salamander Care Sheet

The generally require temperatures in the 50s-60s which I think would be perfect for such a setup.

Like I said in the original post I'm totally open to the idea of arboreal salamanders haha! I don't know if I've ever in my life seen arboreal salamanders that were commonly available though, but I'd be down.
Any diurnal ones? That's my biggest draw to dendrobatids; they give you something to exhibit.
Thanks!

 

[charoozz520]

Like I said in the original post I'm totally open to the idea of arboreal salamanders haha! I don't know if I've ever in my life seen arboreal salamanders that were commonly available though, but I'd be down.
Any diurnal ones? That's my biggest draw to dendrobatids; they give you something to exhibit.
Thanks!

Well accordingly to the caresheet, Aneides species are active during the day during damper and cooler periods which I think would be what a vivarium for colder Orchids would be.

And as for availability, you're right they are hard to come by, I think your best bet is to check on caudata.org and post an ad.

Will there be a temperature fluctuation?
If your temperature are in the low 70's high 60's during the day and drop to low 60's high 50's during the night. Montane pygmy Chameleons (Brookesia and Rhampholeon sp.) can also work (I know these aren't amphibians but they are so fascinating!)

Here's a pic of my pair that I keep in my tank:

 

[mywholeeternity]

Thanks for the info! As long as its something active and it enjoys planted vivariums and those temps I don't care haha! The arboreal salamanders do sound awesome though.

 

[rtbaum]

As long as you are open, what about Day geckos. My lineata have been doing well with low to mid-60's all winter (night), upper 70's to mid-80's (day). They are destined for Madagascar-themed terrarium with multiple Angrecoids and bulbos.

 

[jonnam]

highland sirensis, silverstonei (actually most Ameerega), anthonyi, tricolor, and many Atelopus species are where I'd start researching first.

Actually I heard here in Peru that sirensis highland is never legally exported from Peru.