Fire salamnders not eating

[platinum]

Two S.s.gallaica I bought five weeks ago have stopped eating.
At first they ate ravenously each day, now they are visibly losing weight.
They've refused chopped worms, lesser wax moth grubs, fruit fly grubs, fruit flies, tiny woodlice, live bloodworm on wet paper. In desperation I put a few springtails in, but I've not seen them eat those.

I'm housing them 'hygienically' on wet kitchen paper with a piece of cork bark and two small plastic pipes for hides.

Should I house them on earth from the garden?

Any suggestions on tempting them into eating would be very welcome.

 

[Mike Gent]

Temperature?

Hi,

Strange as they were eating before!

What temperature are they experiencing?

This species really hate warmth, so if its more than 20 degrees that could be the answer.

If you cant get the temp down, consider keeping them in an out building of some sort on the floor where it is cool.

If they are too wamr they can go into a version of 'summer hibernation' where they slow right down to cope with the heat.

Of course another option would be to keep them on a much more naturalistic substrate and that way all sorts of insects and worms can be left in there to roam without the worry of fouling clean paper.

Basics are:-

Keep them as cool as poss.

Dont fuss over them too much...stress can stop them eating.

If you feel you need more info than this try contacting the FIRE Gurus Mike East (Favours simple enclosure) and Ian Riggs (Naturalistic) they are both genius's in this field.

Hope to have helped,

Mike.

PS Keep us posted on their progress. I have 31 FIRE tadpoles that are nearing morph so have all thsi worry to come....just like kids!

 

[tdimler]

In my experience, one of the most common things that causes Salamandra to stop eating if if they are being kept too wet. This could be a possibility, but only you will know that. Obviously the temperature is the first thing to check, but I assume you are keeping them at a proper temp. Have you tried feeding them small crickets? I have rarely had a salamandra refuse them.

Travis

 

[platinum]

Fire salamanders not eating

Thanks for your replies.

I don't think it can be temperatures, unless they're getting too cold, which seems unlikely. The room temp for the past five weeks has not gone over 65F and has often been less owing to the lower exterior temps this summer. (It's a north-facing room with a small window covered in greenhouse screen, tiled floor, etc) It could be dampness. I change the paper substrate every 48 hours and spray one end 'til it's pretty wet.

I haven't tried crickets, but I think I'll try garden soil and see if that help.

Any other opinions welcome.

 

[John]

What kind of paper towel do you have them on? There's an outside chance there's something in the towel that's causing them discomfort or stress (bleach, or something from recycled paper perhaps). That's the only idea I can add to the discussion.

I have never kept salamanders on normal paper towels.

 

[g_k]

from watching mine i know if the food doesnt move they wont eat it so try blood worm and spay it with water, makes it move. also i would try crickets. one of mine (gluttony) loves them and is getting a little tubby, the other one barey ate anything, only a few bloodworm so i was worried until sloth ate a small cricket today.

 

[platinum]

Salamanders not eating

Thank you again for your responses.

John's suggestion about the paper towels is interesting. I don't like the idea of using them, but I've read it's easier to keep tabs on droppings and what's been eaten in a hygienic set up, which is right. I've used the posh quilted ones as well as the bog standard as I haven't been able to find any unbleached rolls.

Anyway, they're on moss and topsoil as from this evening, but they didn't eat today.

I'll keep you posted.

 

[andrew]

I've always kept Salamandra on bounty (plain white) towels (changed once or twice a week) and used cork hides for them to hide under. This is a method that works with both adults and morphs/juvies.

What hides are you using?....sometimes they wont eat if they feel like they can't wedge themselves properly under the flatter areas of a hide.....just a thought

 

[John]

John's suggestion about the paper towels is interesting. I don't like the idea of using them, but I've read it's easier to keep tabs on droppings and what's been eaten in a hygienic set up, which is right. I've used the posh quilted ones as well as the bog standard as I haven't been able to find any unbleached rolls.

Well my suggestion is really just a long shot. Andy's is good one though.

If you do want to get unbleached paper towels, organic food shops sell them (at crazy prices). I used to get mine at Wild Oats when I lived in Bristol. I think that's a chain?

 

[platinum]

Salamanders not eating

Unfortunately, both of the juvenile salamanders have died.

I took on the suggestions of other members, but I suppose they were too far gone.

I don't think disease was a factor, but I think stress was. Could it have been vibration?

For the last four days I moved their enclosure to a surface not affected by the air lines on the newt tanks and further away from the three canister filters, which stand on the floor below where the
salamanders were previously kept.

The air lines and canisters are inaudible to me--one damaged ear--but if I touch the benches I can detect a slight vibration.

There is no disturbance in the room, other than when I go in there.

I'd be intersted in the views of others. (My red efts live in a forest floor viv on the same bench and are active all day long hunting springtails, ffs, chopped small worms and blood worms once a week)