Going to the Texas Reptile Expo

[mcysgirl]

yay!! its tomorrow and hopefully we can find some fun stuff there!! I want to get a frog, but from what I've read that might not be possible. Any body have any frogs?? I'm curious about the poison dart frogs. I heard they weren't very good begginer frogs. Anybody else hear that? Any one have any?

 

[Crotalus]

One thing that keeps me away from dart frogs - the food. They need small foot items (fruit flies etc) and demand alot on the cage. A simple plastic box wont due, they need high humidity with good ventilation.
I prefer toads acctually, they are loads of fun and most are very easy to keep.

 

[Takumaku]

One thing that keeps me away from dart frogs - the food. They need small foot items (fruit flies etc) and demand alot on the cage. A simple plastic box wont due, they need high humidity with good ventilation.
I prefer toads acctually, they are loads of fun and most are very easy to keep.

Dart frogs aren't that hard to keep. Turkistan and other roach nymphs are perfect food for dart frogs. As for the high humidity and good ventilation, they need ventilation, but it doesn't have to be good. A simple rubber maid container can be used and you don't need to at any ventilation holes. Opening the container every few days to feed them will provide sufficient ventilation for them. As a bonus, with no ventilation holes, the humidty will always be 80%+.

 

[mcysgirl]

well, when I went to the Texas Reptile Expo I was kind of dissapointed with how small it was. It was 7 dollars for a expo that could have fit in my kitchen I could have gone to a bird mart for 5 dollars that was 5 times bigger... but unfortunately we had other things to do....

But all the sellers there were very nice and MOST seemed to know what they we're doing. There were a few that I thought were just trying to make a quick buck and didn't really give a <edit> about what they were selling. But all in all... it was all right, wish it was a bit bigger.... but nothing to brag over. I can't wait to go back up to Chicago... things are all ways soooo much better up there...

There was one person with dart frogs. But I believe he was asking $75 for one of them... I don't know if that was a good price or not but he had a good selection to choose from. They we're all very bouncy and moving around, so they all seemed healthy. But I think before we get anything I'm going to wait and do some more research. Hopefully when we get up to Chicago there will be another reptile expo that will have a better selection.

Ohh but the corn we're so pretty up there. There was one guy that I really liked. He was studying to be a herpatologist and all of his snakes we're very active, calm and had nice clear eyes/bodies. I would have like to get one of his snakes but unfortunately robbie said that I can't get any more snakes until abby is grown... then I get to get a male JCP. ^__^ I'm excited... even though its going to take a few years.... only bad thing about it

Takumaku: what size Rubbermaid jars are you talking about? Just a small one or would that be a fairly large one? And do you know about how much a good dart frog should cost?

Crotalus: How long have you been keeping toads? I don't want a frog/toad thats going to get very large... so thats why I was steering away from toads. At the Expo today they had a HUGE toad. I all ready have 6 t's that are going to take a 20 gallon tank just to keep them happy... and I would think with something like a toad they would need that too... what size tanks do you use for your toads?

 

[Crotalus]

Crotalus: How long have you been keeping toads? I don't want a frog/toad thats going to get very large... so thats why I was steering away from toads. At the Expo today they had a HUGE toad. I all ready have 6 t's that are going to take a 20 gallon tank just to keep them happy... and I would think with something like a toad they would need that too... what size tanks do you use for your toads?

I dont keep any amphibians but I had a few WC years ago.
Not all toads grow large, few acctually will become large (size is relative I guess) - many stay around or below 10cm
Size of terrarium depends on the species but for a medium sized toad (ca 10cm) Id keep it in a 50x30x30cm cage (L x H x W)

As for keeping dart frogs in plastic boxes - it might work for a while but if you wanna breed them and keep them for a longer time I would not settle with that solution.

Here you can find good info on dart frogs aswell as other amphibians:
http://www.livingunderworld.org/anura/database/dendrobatidae/dendrobates/auratus/

 

[Barbedwirecat]

I think I posted something about keep darts awhile ago. Personally I prefer the 10 gallon setup With floating grid. There is a bunch of sites to make one if you find out what you like best. The small rubbermaids with the locking lids is what somsone I know uses for froglets and juvis but not the fullgrowns unless they are the smaller species like the pulimos. I like the tanks because they aremore presentable like an aquarium, as apposed to a frog in a box. I've had a harder time keeping the rubbermaids humid than the 10 gallon setup. I have a 45 gallon that I used to have for the 2 darts. My darts ended up comming from a really reputable breeder that imported some WC (which is a nono,the WC still have poison, though eventually it goes away) and that got chytrid fungus. I cannot keep any amphibian in these cages unless I burn all of the plants and start over, and I have alot invested in the plants so....I'm gonna go with a day gecko.

Regaurdless I paid about 45 each for the froglets. If he was selling fullgrowns them you probably were getting a good price. The only ones that are full grown that go for cheaper are mantellas and the green and black or green and blue sort of marbled ones. And i have seen them for as little at 15 bucks. If you want a good hearty starter try one of those first. They are really pretty and you are not out a bunch of money in the longrun. Take it from me. I had a hard time getting the food, its much more expensive than getting crickets (don't even bother trying 2 day old crickets either its not worth the aggrivation or the money) The startup for the tank can be expensive and time consuming when you have live plants (Which I REALLY reccomend if you are going have a full sealed top). Make sure you get your frogs from a reputable breeder and make sure they don't get WC frogs. I spent 45 dollars to find out that my other frog was going to die w/o a treatment that does not always work, another 25 on the treatment, and both of the frogs died. 95,45,25, 100 for the cages and all of the planst and accesorries.

If you get healthy frogs thaey are REALLY easy to keep. If you don't, it can be a poor choice of investment. Even knowing about sulcatta tortoises I still wish my 80 dollars had gone there. I could have had the money to make a huge greenhouse for winters. Pity, but my lesson was learned.

 

[Drachenjager]

Go the the one in December in Round Rock , its WAY better. If you dont know Round Rock is really close to Austin..

 

[mcysgirl]

wow, thanks for all the info BCW, and I wish I could go to the one near austin *actually we just went to san antonio and back today... uhg that was a long trip* but unfortunately we're going to be in Indiana then... but I think I'm just gonna get a stuffed animal frog until I can get more time to research them a bit more.... Thanks all for your info !!!

 

[Bekky]

There is a show in San Antonio coming up the 10th and 11th of November. Usually there are several people with dart frogs and other cool stuff, both wild and captive.