Help me decide on a first frog?

[Pega]

I would definitely say you should start with a green tree frog if possible. A green tree frog was my first pet frog and he was sturdy enough that an 11-year-old harrassing him didn't seriously detriment his health. (I was the 11-year-old) However, I tried a red-eyed a bit ago, and they are finicky little creatures and are NOT good for beginners. I found out the hard way.


So that's my little bit of advice.

[thadmy]

Clown tree frogs require the same tank set-up RETF have so if you don't think your ready for a RETF then I wouldn't advice a Clown either.

As for looking for a breeder in your area the best place would be a reptile show. I don't know where you would look to find when and where shows are here in the states reptilesmagazine has them all listed. But, that would be your best place to find a frog at a cheaper price and also breeders who can answer almost ANY question you have whereas at a pet shop you run the risk of them just saying any old thing to you just to make a sale.

[datawog]

That's not a bad idea, going to a reptile show. Oh, well do I know the perils of listening to 'the pet store people' (I've been keeping fish for a few years now.... if you know anything about the actual needs and natural lifespans of goldfish or bettas, you know how bad those bowls they sell are). I did find one show in my province, happening in April.. that's not a bad timeframe for me but I'm not sure how I would get there. It's 4 hours away and I don't know anyone that could drive me. Unless I asked Mom to do it as my birthday present XD

With the red-eyes, it's not the quality of my setup I'm concerned about but the size. Since they were bigger than any of the other frogs I was looking at and could jump pretty far I wasn't sure they'd be okay in that tank (which is 18"x18"x25"), but since then I've read that they prefer to walk and only jump when threatened, so that changes things a bit. Though since the clown tree frogs are smaller than the red-eyes, I would feel more comfortable with 3 or 4 in a tank.

I guess my big decision here is whether to go for something simple like a pacific tree frog, or jump straight into the hobby with both feet and get something really neat (since I want to get 3 of whatever I'm getting, reed frogs will cost me over $100). I still want to know how much everything costs before I make my decision and I've asked the pet store to get back to me (they actually specialize in reptiles and the lady I talk to keeps lots of frogs at home), and depending on how much I may or may not choose something else. I'm still holding out for mossy frogs and clown frogs. And if it's way too much maybe I'll ask around the forums of the reptile show, see if anyone knows what kinds of frogs will be there... might be more cost-effective.