How do you care for a spotted salamander?

Answer 1

I found "artie" in my crawlspace in Autumn 2004. Don't know the gender. I placed play sand, flat rocks, moss in a 20gal aquarium with a grow light and screened lid to keep my cat out. I placed a plastic bowl for for a pool which artie ended up tunneling under. I devoted a 1/4 length of aquarium as a pool by pushing sand back and keeping it back with a piece of natural pine board (no paint or stain) equivalent to a 1"x2" x14"(width of aquarium) and filling with non chlorinated water. I feed artie pill bugs, worms, beetles and purchase crickets from a pet store (her favorite). I change her sand yearly and her pool water every time it looks nasty. I have a 1 gal shop vac that I just stick in the water and it's gone in seconds. I then add fresh non chlorinated water. I found Artie when she was about 3.5" long. She's now at least 8". I've had her for 5 yrs and still healthy. Her spots changed to beige to match the sand.

Answer 2

get them a 10 gallon tank

5 works to but ten is better

devide it in half water half land by using a plexiglass divider or a gravel slope up(gravel shouldn't be to rough or big)

get him a hiding place like a log or a hollowed out rock

fill the tank with declorinated water

feed him blood worms or live worms once every one or two weeks

use distilled water in a clean spray or mist bottle and keep the tank humid

filll the tank with moss on the land with a water dish and some plant

in the water put some swamp like plant (i also used fake lilipads for my long toed tank)

a heat light is not nesecary

a nocturnal light is optional

have a themometer over the water and make sure it doesnt go over 76 Fahrenheit

do not touch him directly often for that could harm his skin

clean tank once a month

i hope this helps i have a long toed and i love him...hope this works for u

also im making an underground burrow for him and be creative :D

good luck

Answer 3

Quarantine your salamander. Separating your salamander from others ensures a containment of the disease or illness and provides your salamander with a controlled, healthy space in which to get well.

Use medications, homemade and prescribed, wisely. Salamander skin is very porous and treatment of diseases or illnesses should be done only when considering their sensitivity. Treating a salamander for an illness or disease that they do not have or over-medicating a salamander may have disastrous effects.