Spring salamanders

[blaze mcsmith]

Hi everyone , im new to this forum -
i have spring salamanders but not too many people seem to have them so
im looking for any stories, pics or info you have.
ive had them for almost a year now.

 

[Jennewt]

I assume you mean Gyrinophilus? If you do a forum search for Gyrinophilus, you'll find some previous posts.

 

[Ghost1]

Why not some new conversations?

 

[Jennewt]

As soon as someone comes up with something new to say or ask about them, then new conversations are just great! But what the person is looking for is "any stories, pics or info". The old threads seem like the best starting point for that.

 

[Coastal Groovin]

Keep them cool 60 or colder. Keep their water extremely clean. Do water changes religiously and give them plenty of dark cave areas for them to hide under water and a small land area to climb out on and look for isopods and crickets. Feed them small worms, baby crayfish, aquatic isopods and occasionally throw in a couple feeder guppies. Keep them in about 4-6 inches water and keep it moving at all times with a in the tank filter and an air stone. There is your basics.

 

[Vern5384]

I have kept spring salamanders successfully for a few years now, and have found a more terrestrial habitat than the one you describe to be more suitable. It is just too difficult to keep the water cool and oxygenated enough for the animals to thrive in my experience (GA summers are HOT!) Cutaneous respiration is more efficient in contact with air, so I just provide a small area of shallow open water in an otherwise soil/moss/plant filled terrarium. Also, the adults seem to be much better suited to capturing prey out of the water than submerged in it. I keep mine in a 37g mixed community tank (other inhabitants are large Plethodon.) I feed 50-60 small crickets to the tank every week or two, as well as the occasional small Desmognathus metamorph specifically intended for the Gyrinophilus. Will post some pics of the tank soon.