Fire sals - can they climb?

Hi all,


I've a feeling this is a silly question, but here goes...

Some time ago I received a lot of helpful advice here about one or two of my large Bombina orientalis colony which delighted in trying to shimmy up corners of my tank.

I now propose to use this 48" tank for a different species - some of my adult Salamandra salamandra terrestris.

I'd really like to take away the pieces of sponge blocking where the lighting cables enter the tank hood, along with other "security devices" such as the triangular wedges blocking corners at the top of the tank.

When I think of my Sallies scrabbling out it seems absurd... how could an animal that chunky scale glass? Then I imagaine all sorts of scenarios involving the use of some of the taller plants in the tank...

The tank glass, by the way is 18 inches high.

Anyway... time to demolish the security devices... or not? Could an adult Sal shimmy up tank glass? I thought I'd made my mind up until I remembered a line from an old care sheet I have on disk ("Fire Salamander: Captive Care and Propagation by Thomas Scollins"):

"A secure lid is also needed to cover the tank as Fire salamanders are good climbers as far as salamanders are concerned!"

Your thoughts and experiences gratefully received!

In my experience, the smaller they are, the higher they can climb. I wouldn't want to risk not having lids even for a tall tank and adult sals; damp things can stick to glass with great force so they probaly could be supported enough to manage a vertical walk.

My experience is that once the little blighters pass about 12 cm (5 inches) their mass to surface area ratio is too high to climb glass well, unless it's quite dirty and they have something to grip. I'd always keep a lid on the tank though, just in case. You might try sticking some sort of rim inside the aquarium to stop them (a "baffle").

i had my fire salamander climb up the thermometer in the middle of the night. i woke up to hear this jingling sound in his tank, and i thought nothing of it, so i went back to sleep. in the morning, i woke up to see him on the floor next to my bed, covered in cat hair. so i gave him a bath and put him back. he's always dirtying up the sides of my tank with his belly.

-brendan

Brendan,

What kind of setup do you keep him in, because I think it may be a bad sign if a terrestrial salamander tries to escape. I have a fire salamander, and he never tries climbing the glass; I dont even think he knows he is in captivity.

One suggestion could be that your tank may be a little too warm. I have noticed that of all the salamanders/newts that I have had, he seems to be the most sensitive to temps (wont usually come out of hiding unless it is 70 deg. or below.)

yea, that was when i first got him, and he was still getting situated in his new tank. i may have been abit hot in there too. but, since then, i have gotten AC and i have got him in a nice setup, he hasnt climbed since.

-brendan

Sounds good