# Frogs & Toads > Dart Frogs (Dendrobatidae) > Dart Frog Health & Illness >  Odd behavior? (Cobalt Tinc)

## awelcome

I have had my cobalt tinc for less than a week, but this is the first day I have noticed her doing this....  She's a pretty good eater and will eat most of the flies I put in almost right away and hunt throughout the day.  Today though I am noticing her flicking her tongue out at nothing.... she acts like she thinks something is there, and will often try a few times before she moves on.  I would wonder if she was choking or something, except that she seems like she's hunting and will crouch for it, look at it for a long time, and then flick her tongue out a few times.  There are some larvae in there from the extra FF's, and I have seen her go for those as well, but I can see where she's looking and there really is nothing.  She is doing it especially on the log I have in there (like a turtle hut type log)

----------


## Paul

Darts can see tiny insects you and I can't. Odds are she is picking these off. They also rarely miss their target  :Smile: 

Their tongues are attached to the front of their jaws so her choking isn't the issue. By money is on her cleaning up some micro fauna  :Smile: 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

----------


## awelcome

hope this isn't silly... but would there be other things in there if I haven't introduced them?

----------


## Paul

Oh yeah. Gnats could get in and breed or ride in on the moss. There are bugs everywhere  :Smile:  I had these little black oval bugs pop up in my vent tank. The vents went to town on them and wiped them all out. No clue what they were either lol


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Edit: it autocorrected gnats to bats lol

----------


## awelcome

lol that would be a sight o see.... a dart frog eating a bat!  Hopefully it's something like that then, and there isn't some other issue.  She seems fine other wise.  She has eaten so much and still acts like she'd eat all day if I gave her more.

----------


## Daniel

I get wood mites and naive species of springtail in my enclosures all the time. From my reptile cages to my frogs. They some how always make their way in.

----------


## Lynn

> I have had my cobalt tinc for less than a week, but this is the first day I have noticed her doing this....  She's a pretty good eater and will eat most of the flies I put in almost right away and hunt throughout the day.  Today though I am noticing her flicking her tongue out at nothing.... she acts like she thinks something is there, and will often try a few times before she moves on.  I would wonder if she was choking or something, except that she seems like she's hunting and will crouch for it, look at it for a long time, and then flick her tongue out a few times.  There are some larvae in there from the extra FF's, and I have seen her go for those as well, but I can see where she's looking and there really is nothing.  She is doing it especially on the log I have in there (like a turtle hut type log)




You have really great advice here  :Smile: 

I just want to add one little thing. When you add her dusted FF (every day) give her enough to last for about 5 minutes or so.
Watch her carefully. Watch her go after a fly...note as to whether she missing ' the target' often. 
This is a sign of her really needing her supplements. (this is especially important as you don't know where she came from)

If you have not done so, get some sprintails into the soil :Smile:  Add them often. This will add some variety to her diet   :Smile:   She will love them !
If she is still little...you may see what looks like she is having difficulty swallowing.... It's normal. This occurs more often if you are culturing 
hydei fruit fly cultures vs smaller melanogaster for a very small frog. She will be fine with either. They have VERY good appetites! 

Very pretty frog!
 :Butterfly:

----------


## awelcome

Thanks.  She's getting the smaller FF's, and I dust daily (just changed to an alternate schedule rather than mixing them as the rep-cal containers suggested).  Most of the time she has pretty good aim, but she does miss occasionally.

----------

