Question: Handling a salamander

Hi all,

My tiger salamander is a joy to look out and eats, moves and grows well. No problem!

Except when I need to clean her terrarium and get her out! Then, it's a bit of a panic. Not only to I have to dig her out most of the time, but sometimes she gets snappy, which in turns makes me jumpy. I've read all advice on handling salamanders (Clean moist hands, then put her in a box with damp tissue) but I'd just like to know if you guys have tips on how to make the whole process less traumatic for her and for me... thanks!

Slow movements and avoiding the front end can make a diffirence.

How often are you cleaning your terrarium? I change the soil in mine 2-3 times a year. I don't think it needs changing much more often than that.

Oh wow, only? I used to clean it every two weeks, now I'm thinking every month or two. What bothers me is that I don't see any faeces, and although I Clean the water, I'm afraid of how dirty the soil might be!

Daigotsu Max said:

Hi all,

My tiger salamander is a joy to look out and eats, moves and grows well. No problem!

Except when I need to clean her terrarium and get her out! Then, it's a bit of a panic. Not only to I have to dig her out most of the time, but sometimes she gets snappy, which in turns makes me jumpy. I've read all advice on handling salamanders (Clean moist hands, then put her in a box with damp tissue) but I'd just like to know if you guys have tips on how to make the whole process less traumatic for her and for me... thanks!

Click to expand...

They don't like to be handled no matter what, remember the chick in the movie King Kong being handled by Kong? Well that's probably how the salamander must feel!
One thing for sure, clean hands, make sure you have no soap left on them, and keep your hands wet. Avoid long exposure as the human body temperature must feel "hot" to an amphibian.

the poop is probably broken down by microorganisms in the soil. As long as the soil has a clean, earthy smell it is most likely ok. It also helps to seed it with springtails, isopods and other small soil creatures - they'll keep it healthy and alive

Thank you guys, I appreciate the help

A related question - have you ever been bitten by your sally? Does it hurt? Will she go nom nom nom or just latch onto a finger?

Not planning to get bitten on purpose, but better safe than sorry!

Tigers do not bite intentionally or out of aggression. However, an overzealous feeding response may cause a tiger to mistake a finger for moving prey. They have rows of teeth on the bottom and top jaws consisting of short, sawtooth-like ridges used for gripping prey. I have been 'nipped' many times. It doesn't hurt and feels like sandpaper. It is sort of a latch and release response. I have heard anecdotal reports however, of tigers' bites drawing blood.

Regarding frequency of cleaning, I think it depends on what substrate you use, if you have an established ecosystem for biologic decomposition and how often you spot clean. One thing that is particulary annoying to me is the emergence of fungus gnats - when this occurs, I change substrate. With the substrate I am using and where I live, this seems to occur around the 6-8 week mark so I change substrate around 7 times a year.

If you are feeding crickets or other insects with hard exoskeletons, you will probably see poop more readily than if feeding earth worms exclusively.

Thanks, you guys are so helpful! I love this forum!