[The_Greg]

Hey everybody, After seeing the thread on the bullseye froglet, I'm interested in what kind of frogs are in the hobby that are more rare, that have price tags of $150 and up usually.

If we could post pictures with examples and maybe a quick blurb about the frog I think this has potential to be a great sticky.

I'll start from what I've found in quick research...

Name: O. Lehmanni

Why it seems to be rare? Illegal to trade across country borders and is near impossible to breed

Common Price: $???

Notes: Habitat shrinking due to demand from people wanting to breed them? (sourced from james67)

So, what are some other beautiful frogs that can be gotten within the hobby, but are not common like some pumilio and others?

 

[Philsuma]

Let's set a starting point- price on "rare" frogs in the hobby at @ $250.00 minimum.

there are plenty of Pumilio and thumbnails being imported and produced in the $150.00 - $200.00 range that are not at all considered rare in the hobby.

Reasons for rareity:

1. Not exportable from country of origin.

2. Hard to keep / hard to breed and raise.

3.other characteristics such as unique coloration, call ect.

 

[The_Greg]

Agreed on the $250 pricerange.

Basically why I started the thread was to centralize information regarding if someone wanted to spend a shiny penny on a more unique species, what are the options. I personally would never buy darts that are 'near impossible' to breed, regardless of their beauty. Over weeks of watching the active posts, mostly about tincs, pumilio and other thumbs, I found 1 or 2 threads at tops discussing the 'connoisseur' frogs.

The information I'm looking for is to see if someone wanted to drop $500 on a pair of darts or more, what are their REASONABLE options.

However, its interesting to see the more impractical species as well, and I think its beneficial to get the word out there on what species perhaps shouldnt be in the hobby.

Does this make sense?

 

[Julio]

last time i saw lehmanis for sale in the us was about 10 years ago and they were going for $2500 a frog so you can only imagine how much they would be now.

 

[The_Greg]

last time i saw lehmanis for sale in the us was about 10 years ago and they were going for $2500 a frog so you can only imagine how much they would be now.

WOW!

So, tell us of the OTHER frogs you've seen around that are also expensive? Please?!


Philsuma, I assume you know quite a bit about frogs from your helpfulness, care to share some of the cooler rare frogs you have heard of?

 

[FutureFrogMan]

NM, im blind

 

[Philsuma]

I can say that I've been keeping and breeding mainly geckos since the 80's but only 5 years for the dendros....

that said....I am a quick learner.

All I can add is that Histo's are pretty rare and there are some "older" frogs in central AND south Florida.

Even IF you have the $$ (rock star / Bank exec ect) almost all REPUTABLE breeders will not transfer a (LEGAL) Histo to you if you are new and inexperienced.

I have seen a couple reputations ruined by bad dealings and smuggled animals though. The hobby is so small....a rep can be ruined by word of mouth - quickly.

 

[Rain_Frog]

Price really means nothing.

Mantella cowanii is even rarer in captivity than O. histrionica or BJ pumilio. A. spumarius, green Mantella crocea, Mantella bernhardi, Melanophryniscus stelzheri, are also very uncommon.

 

[gatobacon]

Name: Oophaga Histrionicus AKA Harlequin Poison Frog
Origin: Ecuador
Price: Quick search on the Frog Classified turned up nothing on the board; previous posts had them at $400+ per frog
Why so rare?: Export band from Ecuador. Were never bred in numbers while frogs were legal to import. Not as rare in European hobby

It seems Histos are not endangered in the wild and are actually common in their natural environments. It seems the window to import them was just missed.

Hopefully WC frogs get introduced into the hobby. It would be nice to have more species from the Oophaga group available.

I have to admit, I put this post together with about 5 min of research, I'm by no means an expert on this frog, just did some diligence.

 

[The_Greg]

Price really means nothing.

Mantella cowanii

is even rarer in captivity than

O. histrionica

or BJ pumilio.

A. spumarius,

green Mantella crocea,

Mantella bernhardi,

Melanophryniscus stelzheri,

are also very uncommon.

Looks like this thread isnt really going anywhere fast. Either that, or there are three types of hobbiest frogs...

Common
Rare and sought (troublesome)
rare (because) unsought

Am I pegging the market correctly?

 

[The_Greg]

I have to admit, I put this post together with about 5 min of research, I'm by no means an expert on this frog, just did some diligence.

And I thank you for it. This could be a really cool go-to thread with a little bit of anyone's time.

 

[Brian Ferriera]

Price really means nothing.

Mantella cowanii is even rarer in captivity than O. histrionica or BJ pumilio. A. spumarius, green Mantella crocea, Mantella bernhardi, Melanophryniscus stelzheri, are also very uncommon.

I totally agree with Doug here...Thier are tons of tricolor morphs that are rare out thier some other frogs out thier that you just don't see

Silverstoni
Captives(illegal)
Mysterosis (illegal)..please lets not start a debate on the legality of this frog again....
Moonshine Galac's
R. Biolat
0.vincentei and 0.arborea ...both these frogs are here but thier not that common..

Brian

 

[stemcellular]

Looks like this thread isnt really going anywhere fast. Either that, or there are three types of hobbiest frogs...

Common
Rare and sought (troublesome)
rare (because) unsought

Am I pegging the market correctly?

Also, that's not a crocea, its a laevigata...just saying...

 

[The_Greg]

I totally agree with Doug here...Thier are tons of tricolor morphs that are rare out thier some other frogs out thier that you just don't see

Silverstoni

Captives(illegal)
Mysterosis (illegal)..please lets not start a debate on the legality of this frog again....

Moonshine Galac's

R. Biolat

0.vincentei and 0.arborea ...both these frogs are here but thier not that common..

Brian

thats all i could find pictures for.

And i'm not guaranteeing that the pictures are right, because I started this thread to learn. Im just google searching. Feel free to correct me with correct pictures

 

[HunterB]

Also, that's not a crocea, its a laevigata...just saying...

I saw that and thought "that's not a crocea" but would never disagree with a more knowldeageable member like Doug

 

[Rain_Frog]

Ray beat me to it-- that's a laevigata. I don't know where to get a pic of green crocea, but I think a pic is in the book by Mark S.

There needs to be a difference between frogs that are "rare," and "rare and valuable," or just "valuable."

Yes, there are rare tricolor / anthonyi morphs like moraspunga, but they probably wouldn't go for more than $75.

There are morphs of frogs that aren't rare, but "valuable" or more expensive.

A. silverstonei is another rare, valuable frog that would be very expensive, but probably not as expensive as a histrionica.

One reason why egg feeders are so expensive is because they produce very few offspring. If someone was ever successful breeding A. spumarius, I doubt they'd be going for more than $100 each because they can produce hundreds of froglets from one clutch.

So, if there is high demand, but little supply, pumilio will probably remain expensive even if some morphs are not rare.

Ultimately, the rarest frogs like O. lehmanni or M. cowanii-- the few that remain in captivity-- are usually trade only frogs because they have no set "price."

 

[Rain_Frog]

forgot to add:

Mantella aff. expectata "blushing" is another uncommon frog that is very hard to find now.

If you need to see a pic, visit mantella.amphibiancare.com

 

[HunterB]

forgot to add:

Mantella aff. expectata "blushing" is another uncommon frog that is very hard to find now.

If you need to see a pic, visit mantella.amphibiancare.com

I'm getting a probable pair tomorow hehe

 

[Brian Ferriera]

frog

all the frog pics you are looking for are thier..
Brian

 

[Rain_Frog]

a probable pair of expectata, or aff. expectata "blushing?"