Illness/Sickness: Marbled Salamander won't eat

[seano96x]

I've recently purchased an adult female marbled salamander. She appears to be healthy, but I've had her now for 6 days and she has yet to eat. She stays burrowed almost all the time even at night so I havent had many opportunities to try and feed her, and I try not to dig her up from her burrow but the few times I have because of my concern that she hasnt eaten, shes avoided the mealworms and crickets all together. The terrarium has terrarium and sphaghum moss, a water dish with clean dechlorinated water, as well as a log and other things for her to hide in.

Is there a certain food I should try? Is she still settling in? Or is there something else I need to do?

Thanks - Sean

 

[seagull]

Re: Marbled Salamander wont eat

i had spotteds for a while and they didnt eat often. i just kept small earthworms in the terrarium and they remained fairly plump
mole salamanders are kinda reclusive and seem to know how much food they need
i wouldnt worry much

 

[coleonyx]

Re: Marbled Salamander wont eat

Mine is spending most over her time burrowed at the moment due to the heat, they are usually a secretive salamander and this is their natural behaviour. Introduce some earthworms in there, I have cultures of various bugs in my Opacum terrarium including the large orange tropical woodlice which she loves, annoying as they're quite expensive and I'd like them to be come established before she scoffs them all!

Mine has suitably sized cork bark tubes which I cut in half lengthways and partially buried, with moss inside and a good layer of live moss on top they make great ready made tunnels which the salamander utilises meaning I see a lot more of her than if she had to dig her own all the time. She'll often wait at the entrance and take food out of forceps, something like this might be an idea if you want to see more of yours. I never really like digging mole salamanders up, they know what they're doing down there!