Stupot1610
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- Nov 8, 2013
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we fed him dusted crickets, but while we were getting him a terrarium, we had no other tanks to put him in so we had to keep him in a backyard safari and feed him separately. He ate a few crickets, and hopped and probably got tired and stressed when we put him back in the backyard safari and he couldn't swim so I moved him out of the water and he proceeded to crawl underneath the lining, probably where he lost the use of his legs by breaking them. If it wasn't for his legs, he would have been fine. Until he had to shed. But ether way he was wild caught in my backyard, and he was probably 2 to 3 years old by that time to. And the reason I said we can't do shipping is that unless the shipping is free, we won't order it because most shipping is 40 to 45 bucks, and most salamanders are in the 20 to 25 dollar range so it adds up to 60 to 70 dollars and unless I save by either not eating, or not buying crickets, it's not going to happen. And the water dog is 12 dollars. And I am not a newbie when it comes to owning amphibians, and from my reading, tigers and their larva are easy to care for except for breeding. They need a soft, moist soil to dig into, a small water dish where they can't drown, earthworms, and terrestrial hides if you want to see them on the surface. And I don't have much time left to rescue it. it's tail (which is all we could see btw) was less paddle-like and looked like an adults tail. That means it's ether going into metamorphosis, or it is a young adult, and in a semi-aquatic tank with an impaction risk of gravel with no filter would not fare well.
Please do not buy this salamander. You might think you are 'saving' it, but by purchasing this salamander you are encouraging a trade in wild caught amphibians which will be ill and stressed - which is not what somebody starting with newts and salamanders wants, even if you have some experience.
If you are not willing to pay for delivery for a healthy captive bred salamander from a trusted breeder on here, you are probably not very committed. In the UK, we don't have a proper shipping option, we have to use specialist couriers, and I have to pay up to £80 for just shipping. That's about $150, but I'm willing to pay it to get happy, healthy and captive bred animals. Even if this animal dies, you would be doing worse by 'rescuing' it. People that catch these animals, and pet shops that sell them, only learn when the animals die. It's sad, but it's the truth I'm afraid.
I know you're trying to do the best for the salamander, and good on you, but this is not how you want to do it.
Stuart