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Hibernating outside?

Aplestris

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Hello all

I have a young Fire Salamander which I keep outdoors in my car port. I was planning on letting it hibernate through the winter outside but I'm not sure whether there is a great risk or not. Is it possible to leave it in South East England winter temperatures (anywhere from 5 to -7 degrees Celsius)? And if it is, should I change the setup to build a sort of hibernaculum? And is there any conditioning I need to do (ie feeding)?

The Salamander is a Captive Bred Salamandra Salamandra and eats very well and is almost 10cm long. I am unsure of how old it is though. I shall try to upload pictures of the setup and salamander tomorrow if it is needed but I really need to put my mind to rest. He (or she) is doing fine at the temperatures now (9 to 17 degrees Celsius).

Thanks for any help in advance :happy:
 

Mark

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You must provide protection from frost and sub-zero temperatures. With the exception of a few species, salamanders do not have antifreeze abilities. Containers outdoors need lots of insulation to prevent freezing, even then it would not be safe for prolonged sub zero periods. Remember that the cold penetrates from all sides, unless of course you sink the container into the ground.

In the wild salamanders will secrete themselves below the frost line. I've found wintering Salamandra 2-3ft below the forest surface.
 

Tappers

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How about a fridge hibernation? I've kept my kaiseri and marms over winter in this way before and they've done very nicely..
 

Aplestris

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Thankyou very much for both replies,
As far as I understand (which isn't too much) the temperature can't go below 0c ? If this is true I may bring the tank inside if there is a chance of it dropping below 0.
Tappers, I still live with my parents who would never allow that :rolleyes: :D
 

benw

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I would put in somewhere like a garage or similar, near the floor but not on it, and as Mark said it will still need a degree of protection, I personally don't hibernate mine, just cool them in a side room of the house for the winter months.
They still feed, but not so often
 
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