First Frog?

[Drevj12]

Some of you may have seen my other posts in the snake sections of this forum and picked up that I'm very indecisive about what new babies to add to my collection. After getting my most recent, a carpet python, I was turned onto frogs by a few breeders at a reptile show a few days ago. After some looking and reading, Whites Tree Frogs look appealing as I like the slightly larger size and I like the idea of a tree frog because I fancy myself as a bit of a decorator. But I've seen some things online about them having different morphs and such but I can't find much info about that on the web. Also, I was wondering if you could recommend any good breeders? I saw Big Apple Herp had some for sale but I've seen a few bad reviews and the few good ones I read seemed kinda sketchy. Thanks.

[Cyclops]

Try looking at caudata.org classifieds or fauna and kingsnake.com classfieds reptmart sells and I have heard alot of good things about them.

[Kathryntheclean]

Does a mating call drive you crazy? Watch out for the fire belly toads. They call 24/7 and I ended up having to rehome mine because you could hear them in every room of the house! I mean, they go at it all the time!

[Scubadiver59]

Crickets drive me nuts, and when it rains here in the NoVA area, the woods all around me are full of frogs singing all night long.

I don't think I could stand that in the house!

Does a mating call drive you crazy? Watch out for the fire belly toads. They call 24/7 and I ended up having to rehome mine because you could hear them in every room of the house! I mean, they go at it all the time!

[Kathryntheclean]

I was fine with it myself, but my husband got tired of them so fast and then my daughter insisted their little calls were disgusting because they pertained to sex.

[Scubadiver59]

I was fine with it myself, but my husband got tired of them so fast and then my daughter insisted their little calls were disgusting because they pertained to sex.

Wait until she grows up and goes out to a nightclub...then remind her of this little factoid. I'd like to be there and see her reaction when you compare the two, frogs in the viv, and guys making the move in the club. They're both a lot of obnoxious noise!

[Kathryntheclean]

Ha! Oh my goodness, you're so funny! (And oh, so right!)

[trailblazer295]

Show her this. ;)

http://weknowmemes.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/its-a-strange-moment-when-you-realize-the-sound-of-nature.jpg

[Kathryntheclean]

Oh, you're the best. She said, "gross!", and rolled her eyes. Gotta love teens.

[trailblazer295]

You're welcome, much to your dismay I'm sure her outlook will change in a few years lol

[Kathryntheclean]

Yes, we're scared!

[SerpentineDream]

FWIW White's tree frogs actually don't do a whole lot of croaking. They need very specific conditions to breed which your habitat probably won't have. I have a female and 2 males. I hear the occasional croak but not much and they don't show any interest in actually mating. They bark when I annoy them, such as moving things around in their terrarium. If you severely startle them--such as rudely grabbing one while it's asleep--they scream.

White's tree frogs are cute, personable and one of the very few frogs that don't mind gentle handling. You do want to wash your hands afterward as their skin secretions can be mildly irritating.

They come in a few color morphs. There's normal green, baby blue, plum, snowflake and honey blue-eyed. They also change colors like chameleons according to mood, temperature, humidity level and lighting. One of mine goes from light green to dark purple at night when he is in ninja mode stalking crickets.

A good source for them is Sandfire Dragon Ranch. They specialize in bearded dragons but also sell a variety of frogs. Sandfire Home - SandFire Dragon Ranch (http://www.sandfiredragonranch.com)

I keep mine in a 18" W x 24" H x 18" D Exo Terra terrarium as they prefer a vertically-oriented cage. That's enough for up to 4 frogs but I keep only 3 so everyone has plenty of elbow room. It has an integrated hood with 2 sockets and I have a UVB bulb in one, a low-wattage heat lamp in the other. They don't need it super warm--low to mid 70s are fine. They do need humidity so I have clay hydro balls in the bottom, covered with plastic mesh to keep them clean. This creates a water reservoir. On top of that I have coconut dirt which stays slightly damp. That is topped with undyed New Zealand sphagnum moss. I periodically dump water into the substrate. The frogs can burrow in the moist moss or dirt as desired. I put live plants in (bromeliad, jade plant, African violet, nerve plant, bamboo, phalaenopsis orchid) along with earthworms and isopods as a cleanup crew. I don't have to poopy scoop at all because the microbes, plants and bugs quickly break down waste. They have a water dish for soaking, a fake coconut hut for hiding and climbing branches and ledges for hanging out. All I do is add 60 crickets once a week. There's a bottle cap filled with cricket chow and the crickets live happily until they are eventually hunted down over the course of the week. Sometimes they even breed and I spot pinheads. I mix it up with nightcrawlers, dubia roaches and mealworms. Once a month I dust the crickets with calcium/vitamin D3 powder.

These cute, chubby little guys are great, charming and easy pets. They sleep during the day and come to life to hunt bugs and soak in their "spa" at night.