Housing

Hello all. Just a brief note and only(for now) on how I house my salamanders, all common, to a more or lesser extent, to the eastern U.S. I use huge containers that I purchase from Lowe's stores originally meant to be used as garden ponds or as water fountain ponds.No doubt various larger and smaller sizes are available. My standard size is the five foot by nine foot with about a three foot average depth. I fill them in with rocks,plants,moss,soil,bark,tree limbs,branches,twigs,leaves,etc. Then I place screening on top of the containers and then fasten the screening to the sides with clothesline pins and binder clips. I use grow lights that hang down from (in my case) the low ceiling. The salamanders often escape and I round them all up eventually and place them back inside. All containers have been modified with miniature drainage holes and placed on top of concrete blocks. All in the basement of our house. They grow and breed quickly. Evidently with no predation and a good natural supply of small invertebrates, along with my tossing in tiny earthworms on a regular basis, they are happy and must feel they are in a natural setting. Temperature is never higher than 75 F and never lower than 54 F. They are seen when the lights go off at night and at other times when I can diminish lights or must maintain their surroundings. That's all for now. One more note. The containers have been built up with rocks,bark, and tree limbs so the effective space is much larger and deeper than when empty.

Hi, welcome to the site.
It sounds like your set up works very well, it would be nice to see some pics!