amyfay
New member
Lewis joined me about 6 months ago and he was my first amphibian. Previously my experiences do not go beyond cats, dogs, birds and fish.
I constantly scour the Internet for answers and advice regarding the care of Tiger salamanders and found a lot of vague, incomplete or contradicting information.
Larry was brought to me by a friend who's roommate found it in their house.
We live in central Alberta and Lewis was a "rescue" as well.
In hindsight if I had known Lewis would have been fine to set free after finding him under a bucket in a rural house basement I was working in around spring time BUT only because I worry the life I am giving he and Larry may not be as enjoyable as being in the wild.
where to start! Lol I have faith people here will have so much info to share
I used to feed Lewis as much as he could eat. Small up to large sized meal worms, live and live crickets. Once I got canned crickets but that was gross.
Lewis got so fat and lathargic and his belly got bumpy. I went out of town for 5 days and left my bf in charge. He says he only fed him regularly (like 3 or 4 every couple days, because I would keep reading different things his intake would change). When I came back and was changing his house around and sprucing it up (it was a bag of sand in a big blue Rubbermaid with a rock to hide under a d 3 artificial turf stuff tunnels I put above and under ground with a shallow water dish that I cleaned every day. Using bottled water)
I would water the sand so it was moist and while digging through found 6 live large meal worms and Lewis seemed so upset. He did not dig much but hid lots. Then when I put a worm in front of him it seemed like it was attacking Lewis and Lewis would not eat him and won't eat any worms since.
Slowly I adapted his terrarium until Larry came. Then I bought a 40 gallon long tank, wet sand at bottom with a bag of coco and a bag of untreated topsoil mixed together which I mist so it stays surface damp. 3 tunnels, 2 rocks (one with attached water basin) another shallow water dish. 3 logs, one artificial plant. I have a mini fan that blows over the uncovered opening and a thermometer that used to go anywhere from 50 to 80% humidity and 15 to 20 degrees Celsius. Lately I can't seem to get the temp lower than 22 which I know is way too high but I can't cool the house off either. It is just hot. And humidity doesn't got higher than 54 to 60 %.
For feedings now I put 6 to 8 dusted (calcium) crickets live into the enclosure at night and let them eat on their own. Larry is always underground and only sometimes barely sticks his head up out the dirt to see what is going on and Lewis is always under his rock.
I accidentally unhibernated Lewis because I had never seen him for so long and thought he tried to dig and was suffocating in a cave in (paranoid and dilutions lol) he will still tunnel a bit under his rock but not like crazy Larry lol. I can usually make sure to see that I force a cricket to their head so they get at least one each but after that it is every Sal for themselves. I want them to hunt. I do take out leftover crickets after a couple hours but often don't have to. I clear the poops and shedding if I find any. I have seen 2 skins from Lewis and have seen Lewis with skin hanging off of him a few times and also have see n Larry eat skin off of Lewis (so gross) but never Larry shedding. Sometimes Lewis let's me moisten his head with a q tip, if he gets dirty lol and sometimes will come out for a misting, reaching his face up at me or tries to climb up at me on the sides if i am leaning over the tank. Every morning the water dishes are dirty so I know they go in. And their are tons of evidence of other exploring.
I guess Tha kyou for reading and any input that may follow
I constantly scour the Internet for answers and advice regarding the care of Tiger salamanders and found a lot of vague, incomplete or contradicting information.
Larry was brought to me by a friend who's roommate found it in their house.
We live in central Alberta and Lewis was a "rescue" as well.
In hindsight if I had known Lewis would have been fine to set free after finding him under a bucket in a rural house basement I was working in around spring time BUT only because I worry the life I am giving he and Larry may not be as enjoyable as being in the wild.
where to start! Lol I have faith people here will have so much info to share
I used to feed Lewis as much as he could eat. Small up to large sized meal worms, live and live crickets. Once I got canned crickets but that was gross.
Lewis got so fat and lathargic and his belly got bumpy. I went out of town for 5 days and left my bf in charge. He says he only fed him regularly (like 3 or 4 every couple days, because I would keep reading different things his intake would change). When I came back and was changing his house around and sprucing it up (it was a bag of sand in a big blue Rubbermaid with a rock to hide under a d 3 artificial turf stuff tunnels I put above and under ground with a shallow water dish that I cleaned every day. Using bottled water)
I would water the sand so it was moist and while digging through found 6 live large meal worms and Lewis seemed so upset. He did not dig much but hid lots. Then when I put a worm in front of him it seemed like it was attacking Lewis and Lewis would not eat him and won't eat any worms since.
Slowly I adapted his terrarium until Larry came. Then I bought a 40 gallon long tank, wet sand at bottom with a bag of coco and a bag of untreated topsoil mixed together which I mist so it stays surface damp. 3 tunnels, 2 rocks (one with attached water basin) another shallow water dish. 3 logs, one artificial plant. I have a mini fan that blows over the uncovered opening and a thermometer that used to go anywhere from 50 to 80% humidity and 15 to 20 degrees Celsius. Lately I can't seem to get the temp lower than 22 which I know is way too high but I can't cool the house off either. It is just hot. And humidity doesn't got higher than 54 to 60 %.
For feedings now I put 6 to 8 dusted (calcium) crickets live into the enclosure at night and let them eat on their own. Larry is always underground and only sometimes barely sticks his head up out the dirt to see what is going on and Lewis is always under his rock.
I accidentally unhibernated Lewis because I had never seen him for so long and thought he tried to dig and was suffocating in a cave in (paranoid and dilutions lol) he will still tunnel a bit under his rock but not like crazy Larry lol. I can usually make sure to see that I force a cricket to their head so they get at least one each but after that it is every Sal for themselves. I want them to hunt. I do take out leftover crickets after a couple hours but often don't have to. I clear the poops and shedding if I find any. I have seen 2 skins from Lewis and have seen Lewis with skin hanging off of him a few times and also have see n Larry eat skin off of Lewis (so gross) but never Larry shedding. Sometimes Lewis let's me moisten his head with a q tip, if he gets dirty lol and sometimes will come out for a misting, reaching his face up at me or tries to climb up at me on the sides if i am leaning over the tank. Every morning the water dishes are dirty so I know they go in. And their are tons of evidence of other exploring.
I guess Tha kyou for reading and any input that may follow
