Questions about salamander care

Hi everyone, I just got my first tiger salamander about a week ago, and it's going great. But I have some questions about taking care her that I didn't see on any care sheets:

1) Is it a young or mature adult? She's fully metamorphosed. She's about six inches long from nose to tail and about 1 inch wide at her fattest. Her head is the same width as her fattest point. I actually don't know for sure if it's old enough to tell the sex, but the cloaca is flat a a pancake, so I'm going with she for now.

2) Are earthworms from bait shops or walmart safe? I'm worried they'll have bacteria or something else harmful in them. Are there any species/brands of earthworms that are NOT safe for her to eat?

3) How big should she be before I feed her her first tiny pinky? And how often should pinkies be fed? Maybe 1 or 2 per month?

4) During winter when it starts getting into the 30s-40s (Fahrenheit) should I do something to warm her up or just let her hibernate in the cold? And at what temperature would it be necessary to warm her up? I have a small heating pad for under the tank, is that a good way to heat her?

Sorry for the lengthy questions, but I want to make sure to keep her as healthy as possible. Thanks

Caudata Culture Species Entry - Tiger salamander

and if you look under the tiger sal category you'll find lots of info.

Most of us use bait worm nightcrawlers and walmart, though I order from Uncle Jim's worm farm when I can't get them locally.

Otterwoman said:

Caudata Culture Species Entry - Tiger salamander

and if you look under the tiger sal category you'll find lots of info.

Most of us use bait worm nightcrawlers and walmart, though I order from Uncle Jim's worm farm when I can't get them locally.

Click to expand...

Thanks!