Ameerega bassleri Chrome Green/Blue
Ameerega bassleri (Pronounced am-er-eeg-ah bass (like the fish)-leer-eye , are quite variable in color. Green, blue-green, yellow, or cream, these little frogs are diurnal, so they’ll be active during the day and happy to be watched by their keepers. Common in captivity and easy to care for, bassleri is a beauty of a frog, and great for beginners. Jungle Jewel Exotics bred bassleri are rich mint green and black in color!
Quick Stats:
Minimum Enclosure: 45cmX45cmX45cm (18”X18”X18”)
Heat: 18°C-27°C (65°F-80°F)
Humidity: 70-100%
Food: Juveniles D. melanogaster, Adults D. hydei, isopods, springtails.
Lifespan: 10-15 years, potentially over 20
Description
Ameerega Bassleri frogs are highly variable. They come in green, blue-green, grey, yellow, orange, and black, with black striping and spotting. Jungle Jewel frogs are mint green with black patterning, usually having a stripe on the side of the frog from the nose to the belly on each side, and spotting or striping on the back of the frog. This can vary somewhat in each individual frog. Bassleri are a medium to medium-large dart frog. Large females measure approximately 35-42mm (1.5 inches), with males being slightly smaller at 32-39mm (1.25 inch). Males often appear smaller than females.
Distribution and Natural Habitat of Ameerega bassleri
Ameerega bassleri are native to the Peru lowlands and montane forests. These frogs can be found living near streams in the jungle they live in. Ameerega is considered by the IUCN Red List as “Vulnerable” as of 2018, and are under constant threat of deadly virus, agriculture, human collection, and logging. However they are no longer imported in large numbers due to captive breeding success.
Behavior
Like other dart frogs, the bassleri frogs are diurnal meaning they are awake during the day. They are terrestrial and live in the understory of the Amazon rainforests they inhabit. In the wild they are constantly foraging for small insects, invertebrates and arthropods in the leaf litter. Some of the plants in the jungles contain various alkaloids and toxins, the micro fauna eat these plants and in turn get eaten by the frogs. This causes a downstream effect and these amazing frogs have evolved to harness the toxins as a means of self-defence. A combination of their striking colors and the toxins stored in their glands help ward off potential predators. In captivity the Ameerega do not contain any of these toxins due to the diet provided to them. They don’t have access to the food they would be eating in the wild. bassleri live near streams and can be found soaking in shallow ponds or right on the edge of slow moving water. While being frogs they are not very good swimmers and great care should be taken when making a suitable vivarium for them to live in. Once mature, the males will boldly perch on a rock or log and call out to attract females. The Ameerega call is a loud whistle Chirp, Chirp (like a bird), and is very unique among frogs. It’s quite high pitched and may get on some keepers’ nerves after a while however we just love it!. When a female selects a male, they will hop away to a nice quiet place near water to mate. Typically Ameerega can be housed communally, but occasionally you may have to remove a bully.
Life in the Vivarium
Like all dart frogs, bassleri require a humidity range of 70-100%. They can survive for brief intervals at 50% humidity if clean water is provided for them to soak in. You can place a bromeliad or small shallow dish of water in the enclosure or add a pond feature to achieve this. Remember, Ameerega bassleri cannot swim well, so ensure that the water source is shallow and easy to get out of. The water level should be no higher than the smallest frog can sit in with his head and upper torso out.
Ameerega bassleri thrive at temperatures near 21°C (70°F) but can survive a range of 18°C-27°C (65°F-80°F). Never exceed 29°C (85°F) as this can be fatal to the frogs. Generally a heat source such as a pad or light is not needed on a dart frog vivarium, apart from any lighting for plants. Do not rely on sunshine from a window, because the sun through the glass will heat up to extremely unsafe temperatures very quickly. Keep note of any air conditioning or heaters used in your home as well, as they may affect the temperature in your frog cage.
It is possible to house a couple of Ameerega bassleri in a 10 gallon aquarium for a short time, but we recommend that you use a minimum 45cmX45cmX45cm (18”X18”X18”) enclosure – bigger is always better. This size vivarium is suitable to house 2-3 adult bassleri.
You can house several bassleri together with a larger vivarium, however always watch for females who are bullying smaller females, or males having spats. Usually removing the single offender will solve the problem. The size of the vivarium provided and the individual personalities of each animal will dictate how many frogs you can keep in an enclosure. It is quite common for hobbyists to keep fairly large enclosures for colonies of these frogs. Consider ten gallons per frog when deciding how many animals to put in an enclosure. We keep our Ameerega bassleri in an enclosure that measure 39”x19”x39”
It is possible for a healthy Ameerega bassleri to live 20+ years in a vivarium, although up to 13-15 years is more reasonable. Please consider this before deciding to take them home to your family. As with most amphibians they are considered a “hands off” pet similar to a fish. Due to their delicate and permeable skin, it is not advised to handle your frogs. The chemicals, oils and debris on your hands could prove fatal to your dart frog pet when it is absorbed through their skin. It is recommended that you wear powder free rubber gloves if you are required to handle your dart frogs. In an emergency, such as an escape from the enclosure, try to capture them as fast as possible (bare hands will do… if needed) as they will try to hide quickly, and unfortunately this will become fatal very rapidly.
Ameerega bassleri require small live prey to hunt. This is easily achieved by providing them with flightless or wingless fruit flies. Baby and juvenile bassleri will eat Drosophila melanogaster fruit flies, and the adults will hunt for Drosophila hydei and pinhead crickets. Flies on their own are a poor nutritional source. We recommend “dusting” your fruit flies with a high quality vitamin and mineral supplement. We use and recommend Dendrocare all in one vitamin/mineral supplement. You can combine and use other supplements available to you, however please ensure you research what ratio or frequency you can supply vitamins as some can be lethal in high dosages.
It is recommended that you build a bioactive vivarium for your dart frogs. This is achieved by introducing isopods and springtails into the environment. These little land crustaceans (no they are not insects!) will eat the decaying and decomposing bio matter as well as any excess feces in the vivarium. Some of these micro fauna will be eaten by your dart frog, as a little snack.
As with all our frogs, we do not recommend that you house multiple species or morphs together. Please supply each group with a vivarium to call their own.
Breeding Ameerega bassleri Chrome Green/Blue in Captivity
If you have provided all the necessary parameters to keep your Ameerega bassleri happy and healthy, they can be fairly easy to breed in a vivarium. Eggs will be laid on a smooth surface hidden in the leaf litter or your background. We provide clean film canisters embedded into our backgrounds to simulate a tree hole in the wild. The male frog will faithfully guard the new eggs which take approximately 10-14 days to fully develop, at which point they will hatch. At this point the male will gather all the tadpoles on his back, and he will seek out a clean water source like a small pond to deposit his new tadpoles. At this point the tadpoles are on their own in the wild. Ameerega bassleri tadpoles will eat tadpole food, dandelion leaves, dead fruit flies, algae, and other commercially available fish foods. They will take approximately 60-80 days to fully metamorphosize into colorful little froglets.
Final Notes
Ameerega bassleri are beautiful medium sized dart frogs who are easy to care for, making them great for the novice frog keeper. Their minty coloration accented with black stripes and spots makes them stand out in any enclosure. Their diurnal nature and loud, unique call will make your home sound like your standing in the amazon rainforests of Peru!
