My new Tiger, "slugo"

While it doesn't seem as though there's a ton of posts or activity on the forum, I figured I'd put up my first (other than intro) post.

I've had my Tiger about two weeks now. Maybe I got lucky, he's fantastic. Little bugger is about 5 inches long. I swear he's grown since his arrival. He's in a 20 long with a mix of organic garden soil mixed with some sphagnum and coco fiber. Also has a appropriately sized water dish, flush with the surface.

I have him on a diet of dusted crickets, meal worms and wax worms. He won't go near an earthworm. He hasn't yet burrowed other that kind of forming a tunnel under his tree bark hide. I maintain humidity at 70 by misting, soil is damp but not wet. He is voracious. As soon as I lift the lid on his enclosure, he pops his head out from under. The second he see's the chop sticks he literally trots out and follows my every move. He will chase wandering crickets around till he nails it. Some times he'll sit there staring up at me waiting for his next bug. It's very cool.

I've not yet detected any defecation yet, not sure if I should worry or not, maybe I'm missing it. he's so healthy and active I think it may be normal for him.

Bottom line, I'm thrilled with my decision to try an amphibian for a change. Now I read some guys are breeding them, perhaps when I'm comfortable with my care I'll move into that. A most intriguing creature indeed.

Is he cool enough? Have you seen our care sheets? Good luck!

I believe he's cool enough. He's in an air conditioned room, I keep him at 73 degrees. Although he eats very well, he's not bloated (constipated) and continues to be very active. Maybe I'm missing seeing any poops. He does come out from his hide occasionally and wanders around. When I go over to see him, he literally lifts his head and stares at me, it's adorable. I'm sure he's just waiting for me to drop in another cricket, meal worm etc. He as well has a nice, flush to ground "wading pool" I've only seen him go in it once on his own accord. I have placed him in it just to make sure he knows it's there and what it's all about. His enclosure is always 70% humidity, I mist a couple times a day. His soil is moist but not wet.

I'm enjoying him a great deal even though I really don't handle him at all. I can't say I never pick him up, just to get a good look, but that's very infrequently and always with clean, wet hands. I think this is the major drawback of caring for salamanders.

I have in the past, bred several species of turtles and snakes. At one time I housed 86 snakes, Pythons, Boas, Anacondas etc. As I mentioned, at some point, once I'm comfortable in my ability to care for the tiger, I may endeavor to breed them. I enjoy the challenge and involvement in designing the proper habitat, the engineer in me I'm sure. I'll keep you posted on this little guys progress. Thanks for the response.

Awwwww he is so small!! Can you post a picture of him? I would love to ID the subspecies!
Breeding is very difficult usually. Tiger salamanders rarely breed in captivity, there are only a few instances where they have bred in captivity, and some of them were by mistake. I know bellaboo had them breed in the water bowl once and I thought that was so funny.

Hi Rorey.
I'll get a picture of the lil bugger and get it up. As far as breeding, I'm in a good situation in that regard. I've an engineering background, and can do basically anything, plumbing, electrical, construction and I love landscaping. I live in an area where Tigers (Ambystoma tigrinum) used to be present. Unfortunately, farming and horse farms have eradicated them. My thoughts would be a "semi wild" breeding program. I have an area on my property that I could devote to the endeavor. A 600 square foot section. I already have pre-formed pools (up to 250 gallons), pumps, filters, pool liner etc. I believe that if I ditch witched a trench around this section and sunk a 2 ft deep mesh, of the right material, with the appropriate top treatment, escape wouldn't be possible. On my place, below about a 6 inch layer of top soil, it's a hard packed silt/clay. It's hard and I'd have to believe impossible for a sally to burrow through, especially if they'd have to get down two feet to begin with.. My attempt would be to produce quite literally a salamander paradise. Several pools, running creek, a bog/marsh area (about 100 square feet) and an area or two of specifically chosen burrowing material replacing dug down and removed hard pack. I think this would facilitate their day to day activities and provide for natural hibernation.

I'm not sure how I would maintain an adequate food supply, any thoughts? Perhaps I could raise night crawlers. I have a friend that does this and it's quite successful. Merely keeping the "enclosure" regularly stocked with crawlers may suffice.

To be honest, the creation of such a "paradise" would be an interesting and rewarding challenge.

I don’t know if they would need that much space but that is awesome! The only issue with that is that wild individual species tend to spend the majority of their time around two feet underground, and only approach water in the early spring to mate. Captive individuals tend to spend more time above ground, and will breed at any time of the year. But that would be amazing if you could recreate a small area of their natural environment. Perhaps if it is successful enough, they will start repopulating the area! Just make sure you have an adequate food supply in the water if they breed. Otherwise there is a chance you could induce the cannibal morph, or the tiger salamander breeders bane, the dreaded paedocannibal morph, which never becomes terrestrial and readily consumes other tiger salamanders. I talked to one of the major breeders in the US and he told me whenever he sees the paedocannibal morph in one of his ponds, he kills them on sight because when he didn’t, they would sometimes breed and spread the paedocannibal morph to other ponds. And perhaps if you had a compost pile in one part of the habitat you could cultivate red wigglers. Salamanders don’t enjoy them as much as nightcrawlers, but they are much easier to breed and raise.

Been a little while but for anyone interested. Rorey, I will get a pic for you, just not much on the posting pic thing. Yes, I admit it, I'm computer illiterate to a large degree and I try not to handle my new friend much.

That being said, I love this little guy. He seems to be thriving. Every morning when I go into my home office, he pokes his head out from his hide, I guess he hears me or feels the vibrations. I have him on a varied diet of dusted crickets, giant meal worms, an occasional wax worm and his favorite, cut up frozen smelts (fresh water smelts), thawed of course. When he see's the chop sticks (my feeding mechanism) he crawls out and walks over to the front of his tank. I tell ya he stares at me, waiting. I never would have thought they were so interactive. I am very surprised at how much he eats. He's looking at me now! I'm not sure if I should feed him all he'll eat or kind of moderate his intake. Any thoughts? I don't want him to get fat, hence unhealthy. For example, he's had his "breakfast" two giant meal worms and about a quarter teaspoon of thawed smelt. He's sitting there staring at me now, if I put in another piece of fish or a meal worm, he'd eat it I'm sure. He's not fat now, just nice and healthy looking. I'm maintaining him at 73 degrees and 70% humidity. His soil mix is damp but not wet. He seems to be quite comfortable with his environment. I mist his soil a couple times a day. Sometimes he hides from the mist, sometimes he sticks his head out and kind of bobs it up and down. Almost like he's enjoying it. He does have a nice, easy access water tray but I never see him in there. I occasionally put him in the water, just to make sure he's aware it's there.

Well my little guy isn't so little anymore. I love this thing. He eats like a fiend. He still gets his dusted crickets, giant meal worms and wax worms. He also loves these fresh water smelts. What a great food find. Bought a sack of them frozen. Every morning, go put one in a cup. Let it thaw and come to room temp. Then I cut it into about 4 pieces, a touch of dust and he'll literally jump to get at it. Makes a little squeak when he jumps. He's not obese, just right I think. When I sit at my desk, his tank is right next to me, he comes out and crawls over to my corner and stares at me. I swear he knows my voice. I handle him on occasion now, always with clean, wet hands. He seems to be ok with it. After a couple seconds of crawling backward, he settles right down and just sits on my hand. What a gentle curious little fellow he is. I very rarely see him enter his "swimming hole". I've a big piece of bark in there and he's excavated himself quite the little "cubby".

I'm definitely going to get another or two. I'm also thinking I might try a couple spotted sals. I hate to buy them from an online dealer but did apparently have good luck with this little fellow.

Sounds like he's doing great! I wouldn't worry if he's still not eating earthworms. Mine is sometimes finicky towards them as well, preferring crickets or roaches instead. Other days she eats worms no problem.

Mine usually goes in the water dish to poop and shed. It doesn't happen that often. I wouldn't worry it sounds like you're doing all the right things.