Looking for new species

Well, my wild-caught larvae are starting to morph, freeing up a few containers as well as a large share of my time. I've been happy with my Central Newts, and since they seem to be doing well, I'd like to get another species. I'd just like some advice into what you recommend.

I'd like something fairly easy to care for. While I intend to become an expert some day, I'm smart enough to know that under no circumstances will I reach this stage for many years

I'd also like something that'll breed. I really enjoy breeding salamanders and raising the larvae. I also would like to be able to sell a few on campus to raise money for worms and other food items, since I don't have a job during the school year. This is another reason I want an easy to care for species, I don't want something that some guy'll just end up killing, I get attached to animals born in my care, and get upset when they die.

I'd also like something that I might be able to trade in the future to users here to diversify my collection. I've always loved salamanders and I enjoy having a variety of them around, so trades would be a good way to get into having a larger collection as my experience and expertese with the animals grows.

I also don't want anything native to Wisconsin, as I can just find them myself. Also, part of the reason for a new species is to see and learn about something new. The 7 species of Wisconsin sals are:

a. tigrinum (Easter Tiger Sal)
a. maculatum (Spotted Sal)
a. laterale (Blue-spotted Sal)
h. scutatum (Four-toed Sal)
n. m. maculosus (Mudpuppy)
n. v. louisianensis (Central Newt - also not interested in other n. viridescens at this time)
p. cinereus (Redback Sal)

Finally, I'd like something beautiful. This doesn't really mean much, since I think all salamanders are beautiful, (even hellbenders, and especially mudpuppies). But if you think it's beautiful, even if it's just some drab animal, then I probably will too.

I don't care if they're terrestrial or aquatic or half and half, or if they're newts or sals. I do prefer an animal that is captive-bred in most cases.

Please let me know what you recommend. If you know anywhere online that sells these, or how I could go about getting some (aside from driving across country), I'd appreciate it. And while I'm willing to pay expensive shipping, I don't want to spend a fortune on a single animal that has a good chance of dying (i.e, the $49.99 fire salamander that's been sitting at the pet shop for months.)

Thanks again for your help. Any success stories or testimonials for favorite animals would be greatly appreciated. =)

The captive-bred species that come to mind are:
fire salamanders
axolotls
Pleurodeles

For any captive-bred species, you'll need to get them shipped.

Personally, I think the triturus Dobrogicus is a very beautiful and easy to keep and breed newt.

About shipping: I think there is a difference between shipping hundreds of wildcatched animals of cb-animals who are packed with care. (Sorry for my English).

just a note: if the fire sal has been sitting for 'months', and isnt dead yet, it might be in better shape than you think!

And dont knock the Ambystomids until you try them! They have wonderful personalities.

Ambystomids are great; I really love tiger and spotted sals. One of my maculatum larvae is metamorphing and I look forward to raising him/her. I just mean that the abystomids we've got are no problem for me to obtain if I want to keep some. I'd gladly go for other abystomids, but most are wild-caught, and I don't really want to buy wild-caught store animals and support the industry in that respect.

I'd like to get some p. cinereus, which I should be able to breed, except I won't be able to keep many hatchlings afterwards due to regulations (5 state salamanders per person). They'd become a burden getting rid of the hatchlings; I don't think I could trade them, couldn't release them, and don't think I'd find anyone to give them to, so I'd be more or less stuck with animals I can't legally have.

So, if I want to breed, I just need non-state sals that there's a market for. No pressure that way, I can give away or sell anything I don't want to keep. I've always been fascinated with breeding animals, so I'm mostly interested in a breeder for my next species. I'd be interested in an axolotl, except I don't want to haul any more 30 gallon tanks of water to school and back home for winter break than I have to.

As for the fire sal, I guess you have a point, Kaysie. They're really beautiful animals, I might stop in there if I can't find something else.

I might check out Pleurodeles, they look fairly interesting. Thanks for all the suggestions, salamanders are probably the best pets I've ever had, aside from my dog I guess.

(Message edited by onetwentysix on June 23, 2004)