More Questions....

I've heard different things from different people and read different things in different places and it's all starting to make my head swim. My first question is this, When is it 'official' that a late larval salamander has moved into the early morph stage? What marks the beginning? And once it has started to morph, how long does it take approx? And does water level have anything to do with the length of time it takes to complete the morph stage? And I have read that some salamanders will refuse food during this morph stage... how long can I expect food refusal? and how long is food refusal safe? Also once it has entered the morph stage how long does it usually take before my salamander starts coming up on its island? And at what point should I switch it's environment to include more land? (should i wait for the change to be complete?) And where should I put my little guy while I'm changing his surroundings in order to cause him the least stress? Well, I hope someone can help me with my questions. Oh ya, in case it helps I believe my morph is a gray tiger salamander.

Amber, it's a gradual transformation. When the gills start to recede, and the animal takes on adult shape and coloration, it's morphing.

This varies between species. With tiger sals, this usually happens when they're 5 or 6 inches long, but they may sometimes overwinter as larvae.

Food refusal may last until it's well established on land. Be sure to try and feed it well before it starts to morph, to avoid starvation.

To help your little guy, lower the water level to a few inches, and provide lots of areas for him to climb on, and get out of the water. It will choose when to come out. Once the gills are completely absorbed, you can move it to a terrestrial setup.

shrinking caudal fins are a good indicator. once the fin shrinks off the back and the tail starts to round and the head starts to change shape, i lower water levels. the gills sometimes stick around for a while and are the last to go.

so then if i need to lower his water level should i do it gradually (a quarter of an inch to half an inch at a time) or can i just lower it significantly all at once? for example i just lowered his water about a half inch (he seemed pretty interested in the water pump ) but he still has about 5 inches of water (along with an island) is 5 inches too deep? (keep in mind he has shown no interest in his island yet) and should i lower his water more significantly next time or just keep at a steady pace? thanks for the advice.