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ID help: Ambystoma maculatum (spotted salamander) larvae?

Neuro100

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Just joined today, have a lot of pages to read, but wanted to ask for help with an ID.

In April when I was cleaning off our pool cover, I found an egg mass in among the leaves and water. I put it in a big glass bowl with some aged tap water and a few of the leaves. The egg mass was smooth and slightly greenish in places, which worried me until I read this article about spotted salamanders and their symbiotic relationship with algae.
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Some started hatching after about a week. I collected a little water from a nearby vernal pool at first, hoping there were some things in there the smallest larvae might eat. As they've gotten bigger I've been feeding them live blackworms, which they gulp down (ha, now I have a tupperware full of worms in my fridge). I think they've also been eating mosquito larvae that are laid in their outdoor tank, because those seem to disappear.

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Right now the water in the tank is shallow--maybe 3" deep, with some leaves to hide under. I'm keeping it shallow so it gets enough oxygen without a bubbler, since that much turbulence seems problematic for these delicate little guys. I've read that water quality is important, but I haven't been changing the water, thinking that they normally live in stagnant pools that are slowly evaporating. Maybe this is a mistake?

The biggest one is close to 2" long by now. I'm planning to release them into the woods behind our house after they transform. I'm not sure what they are, but the egg mass algae made me think spotted salamander. Any ideas? (My profile picture is also one of them.)


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Ohmy

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They are gorgeous! I would have to keep at least one!

Good job raising those little babies and giving them a chance at life.
 

brookeashley

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We are also saving some spotted salamanders, they recently hatched and i am feeding them teeny tiny brine shrimp right now.. may i ask where you got the worms? I got a little frozen cube of food from petsmart that said it had blood worms in it but once thawed i realized the blood worms in it are sooo big compared to how tiny the salamander larvae are right now.. do i need to wait longer or maybe a diff brand has smaller worms?
 

Neuro100

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We are also saving some spotted salamanders, they recently hatched and i am feeding them teeny tiny brine shrimp right now.. may i ask where you got the worms? I got a little frozen cube of food from petsmart that said it had blood worms in it but once thawed i realized the blood worms in it are sooo big compared to how tiny the salamander larvae are right now.. do i need to wait longer or maybe a diff brand has smaller worms?
I got live blackworms from Eastern Aquatics. You have to contact them ahead via email--if you just order, they won't process it. You have to keep them in your fridge and tend to them (feed, change the water, pick out tiny leeches). I think the larvae prefer live prey--not sure they would eat frozen/thawed worms, even if small.
 

brookeashley

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I got live blackworms from Eastern Aquatics. You have to contact them ahead via email--if you just order, they won't process it. You have to keep them in your fridge and tend to them (feed, change the water, pick out tiny leeches). I think the larvae prefer live prey--not sure they would eat frozen/thawed worms, even if smal

I got live blackworms from Eastern Aquatics. You have to contact them ahead via email--if you just order, they won't process it. You have to keep them in your fridge and tend to them (feed, change the water, pick out tiny leeches). I think the larvae prefer live prey--not sure they would eat frozen/thawed worms, even if small.
Thank you for responding!!
How big were there when you started feeding the live worms? And do you mean you have to feed the worms too? Right now the lil guys i have are like... 2cm long? Theyre quite little!
 

Neuro100

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Thank you for responding!!
How big were there when you started feeding the live worms? And do you mean you have to feed the worms too? Right now the lil guys i have are like... 2cm long? Theyre quite little!
I dunno, maybe 2 cm? Yes, you have to feed to worms.
 

brookeashley

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I dunno, maybe 2 cm? Yes, you have to feed to worms.
For the smallest amount of worms from Eastern Aquatics its 73 dollars because overnight shipping... I can't afford that. 😩 just got 8 dollar freeze dried bloodworms on amazon.. hope they accept it. We saved them from a very small pond, like the size of a baby pool, in the middle of my father in laws field as he is filling it in and planting an orchard.
 

brookeashley

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I dunno, maybe 2 cm? Yes, you have to feed to worms.
Did you ever feed them anything other than bloodworms? Do you think i should stop changing their water? I have been changing it every few days.. i take out like 80% old water and replace with tap water (we have well water so no chlorine) should i add tiny gravel? Live plants? I have no experience but want to give them a solid chance
 

Nursery Human

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It's my first year with some little spotted salamander (I think)
I also have some other mystery frog tadpoles.
 

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