Hello from Florida!

[leodeal384]

Hey guys and girls-I'm new! I don't have any newts/salamanders yet, but I am planning on getting some... I have a lot of experience with dart frogs, leopard geckos and all kinds of snakes. I figured I would finally venture into these guys. I got interested last summer when I went to North Carolina and caught a lot of different salamanders. Anyways, thought I would say Hi!

 

[John]

I hope that you spend a lot of time deciding if newts/salamanders are for you and which you think would be interesting to you but also suited to your time. Several people here (myself included to some degree) take issue with people who try to keep a whole bunch of animals. Anyhow, welcome to the forum.

 

[leodeal384]

Well first of all, I work with animals. I help teach classes and maintain our reptile/amphibians at the science center of pinellas. Keeping them is no problem for me. I have less now than I usually do, which is why I am considering some kind of salamander. I bred leopard geckos for a few years also. I have kept planted aquariums for some time now, too. Maintaning multiple kinds of animals is more enjoyable to me, in my opinion, because I would not want to only have one kind of animal to look after. I think it is much more rewarding if one has a wide variety, and then focuses on one kind...make any sense? Probably not, but oh well. Just know that I have the capabilities to keep salamanders/newts. I still don't get why I am told to spend a lot of time and make sure I truly want one...just because I have other animals? Why doesn't everyone else on this forum get the same treatment? I am sorry, but I don't think I will be hanging around here too long if that is how one is welcomed...

 

[Jennewt]

Welcome, Austin! This being a public forum, you just have to ignore occasional off-the-wall posts from renegades like John. With your dart frog experience, you'll have no trouble with caudate husbandry. If you are dependent on air conditioning for keeping things cool, you'll find there are some very nice species that are sufficiently heat-tolerant that they won't instantly croak if your AC goes on the fritz. I recommend Cynops ensicauda and Pleurodeles waltl, for example, both of which are occasionally available captive bred.

 

[John]

Down with the establishment I say!