Q&A for How to Care for Salamanders

Chances are he ate something that upset his stomach. Go to a reptile vet and get it checked out.

Yes. That will works and it should live for years.

It depends. Endangered salamanders, such as green salamanders, are illegal to keep without a permit, but duskey salamanders probably aren't. Check your state regulations for information.

Search under rocks in empty creek or river beds. Just be cautious of water snakes. Look under rocks at the bank of a running creek; be careful not to slip and fall in. Look under pieces of bark or under leaves after a rain. Always lift items away from you, to give small creatures that might otherwise bite a chance to get away from you rather than feel they need to bite or sting to survive.

No, you don't want to touch your salamander. Salamanders can live for many years if they are properly taken care of, but the oils on your hands can kill them very quickly. All amphibians have extremely absorbent skin, so try to avoid contact with them. If you do have to grab one for health reasons, wash your hands thoroughly or put gloves on.

It depends on the species. Most salamanders you can legally keep in captivity.

Lay out some broccoli for it, they love it. Have a cage ready to usher it into, then pop it outdoors. Or, just leave it under the toilet, as it's probably eating insects and keeping your outdoor loo sanitary.

If you are buying it, then you can probably ask the dealer or seller. But if you are making a collection from your backyard or somewhere like that, then you can probably look up "salamanders in (insert city here) that have (insert characteristics such as "black stripes" "yellow spots" etc.)".

You can ask around at local pet stores if they can special order you a species, you can look at websites such as backwaterreptiles.com, or you can go into your backyard and look under rocks, logs, or other suitable habitat near or in streams or other water bodies. When collecting though be sure to look at local laws and consider collecting more common species, such the eastern newt in most areas of North America.

Yes. Most salamanders are nocturnal, meaning they are active at night and can see better in the dark.

It depends on the species. Some may only live a year or two, while some may live 25+ years.

Normally they lay eggs in creek/river banks, in moist and warm areas where they will be safe from any possible predators.

It is generally not a good idea to house these are different amphibians in the same vivarium and they may not get along or feel safe.

They are most easily found in wet soil, but any dirt should do. Just dig a hole to find them.

Salamanders very rarely bite, let alone draw blood, so you probably aren't dealing with salamanders, It may be a lizard. If they draw blood or break the skin for that matter, wash your hands with hot soap and water, and if necessary, get medical attention.

Amphibian larvae are fairly easy to take care of. All you have to do is put them in a large tank or plastic storage container and feed them small invertebrates such as worms or beetle larvae. When they start to become older at about 2-3 months of age, you should put some sort of ramp for them to climb up onto, as most salamanders will water to come out of the water at this point of age.

You can ask the seller you got it from, or if you are collecting, you can usually judge based on whether or not it was in the water when you found it. If you are still not sure than you can look up your specific species.

You might use Eco earth from pet stores but you could also use moss, from the pet store or backyard. Or, you could use dirt from your backyard. Just don't use any dirt with any fertilizers or pesticides in it, as that can be deadly to your pet.

You could try a big clear container. Make sure it's safe for them and put screening on the lid so they get a lot of air and sunlight.

Some salamanders are more territorial than others but to make sure about your species, you can look up other care sheets specific to your species.

Feed it crickets or meal worms.

If its skin is smooth and moist, it's likely a salamander. If it isn't, it's probably something else.

Salamanders are amphibians and need to keep their skin moist with water, but terrestrial salamanders aren't great swimmers.

Really, with the exception of snakes, no tank is too small. In the wild, salamanders have the option to roam for miles. The tank should be as big as possible, but not too big that you can't keep it clean enough.

Yes, which is why you should ensure that you are maintaining a consistent temperature in their habitat so that they do not get too hot.

Luckily, salamanders bathe themselves! If you have a water bowl (I really hope you do, it's very important; if you don't, get one big enough for the salamander to swim in). The salamander will swim in it and get clean. If you have an aquatic salamander, then they're already bathing all day.

No, I wouldn't advise feeding your salamander anything other than salamander food and things they would eat in the wild (crickets, worms, etc.).

If they are the same species, yes, but if they aren't, don't. It's not a good idea to risk mixing diseases by keeping them in the same tank/aquarium, but they can be in the same room.

It should be fine. Make sure the salamander has either eaten a lot or leave it with enough live food to last however long you're gone (up to about 30 crickets/worms max). Make sure it also has plenty of clean, fresh water. Change it right before you leave.

If you are feeding an adult salamander, feed it insects and invertebrates like worms, mosquito larvae, fruit flies, and crickets. Babies usually eat micro-organisms in the water.