Attracting local salamanders

So, I have Garden Slender Salamanders in my area, and limited Yard space. I have a spot with dirt and rocks where I thought I could put a source of water to draw them. I don't know how they would get there...? Or maybe I could find some and put them there. Unfortunately, I can't make too big of a water source, so I was thinking of finding a 6 in by 6 in container and filling it with water and dirt. Then I would get a VERY tiny water fountain and put it in the center to make the water flow. Please help me to best suit these little guys. Any suggestions are very welcome. Thank you in advance!

Check out this video: https://youtu.be/QwLHOV2Az_k

Hi KingSloth,

I too have tried to attract slender salamanders (B. attenuatus in my case) to my yard. Unfortunately, my neighbor's yard and a road is a major barrier for them, even though they live in the creekbed a few hundred feet away!

Now for your case, I don't know the details, but first look to see if any of your immediate neighbors have encountered these salamanders in their yards. Have you seen any in your yard before? If none have, slender salamanders may not live in your neighborhood (this could be due to pollution, microclimate, habitat, distribution, land fragmentation, heavy urbanization, etc)

To attract them, they don't need a water source. They just need moist soil. These salamanders don't swim, so a fountain/pond wouldn't be of much use to them.

They like leaf litter, old wood/logs, rocks, and moist soil.

Putting some native plants could help attract, and if you have lawn, don't mow too much!

If you have empty space with just dirt, place leaf litter on it(oak leaves, Quercus, work well), get native grass seeds, or wildflower seeds, plant them; and place wood/sticks/rocks on the ground. Leave the area alone for a while!

The idea is to mimic their natural habitat. Good luck!

Thank you so much! A post on Inaturalist.org Global Amphibian bioblitz shows that someone has them in their backyard about two blocks away from my house.