Dont know where to turn...

[jhonnatan]

Hi guys,
im new to this awesome world, and I love it. My local store has this salamander that he claims is a spotted one, but the coloration, markings and morphology does not add up. where can I go to find the correct name for this creature based on the looks of it alone? It is a dark somewhat dirty yellow almost brown with no special patterns on its body, but it does have small little dark spots
around its body. The underside is same colour. the
front legs have 3 toes and the hinds 5. Any ideas?? Please help me. I would like it to be the next addition to my palludarium but I will not get
it if I don't know what it is, what It eats, etc.
Thank you all for any help,
John

 

[william]

you'll have to ask an expert like Mike for this, but i could not be an ambystoma or one of the central american species. do you have any pictures? browse through this site and see if any of the species match the description.

http://www.caudata.org/cc/species/Ambystomatidae.shtml

 

[jhonnatan]

Here's a picture

 

[william]

thanks, i have no idea, but it doesn't look like any ambystoma i've seen!

do you have a mixed paaludarium?!?

(Message edited by will_j on June 10, 2005)

 

[jhonnatan]

<font color="ff0000">pictures edited for ease of viewing</font>

(Message edited by mike_g on June 10, 2005)

 

[jhonnatan]

The pictures makes it look a little darker than it is... sorry
John

 

[jhonnatan]

Michael I think you are right on the species (brevipes). It seems as agressive as described and the coloration, patterns and morphology is identical or almost. Thank you so much to you guys... I could have bought a monster that could have potentially kill my firebelly newts,red eye frog and green frog.
John

 

[william]

bad idea to mix together those species, red eyed tree frogs like tropical temperatures while fire bellied newts need temperate temperate temperatures, and i don't know what species of green tree frog you've got, but it's a bad idea anyway. there is also the increased risk of infections.

 

[jhonnatan]

im sorry... i fell to mention that I have the water cooled with a probe chiller to 67 degrees f. the enviromental temperature for the section where the newt is never raises above 72 degrees. Theres a cut out in that section of the tank where the newts are that allows me to do so via routed AC. The tank is tall enough that it creates a differential of temp of aproximately 7 degrees keeping the froggies happy at a good 76-77 degrees.The only problem I had before was the humidity for the frogs was too low, but i managed to put a concealed cup of water in which I have a fogger and this effect helps me raise humidity to a pleasant 70-78%. I know the frog and newt come from completely different climates but my old terrarium sprung a leak after Hurricane Frances which forced me to take this measures.
I appreciate the concern, though I can ensure you their enviroment is well thought out.