Question: Metamorphosis

[tcbemis]

This is our first time raising sallies, so I hope this isn't too dumb... But how fast does metamorphosis happen? Yesterday we had 12 advanced larvae with massive gills... As of this morning they all have varying degrees of change in that area... One pretty much has no gills left, just little horn like stumps. And the others aren't far behind ; a few have 3 full gills and a half on one side. I guess I thought it would be more subtle, like watching a tadpole transform.

We're pretty sure they are yellow spotteds. They're also bigger than we'd expected, about 3 inches right now.

Thanks!

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[Bellabelloo]

It can happen quite quickly, over only a few days. You'll need to provide some areas for them to be able to easily climb onto. Despite them being happy in water until now, once they morph they can easily drown. Once they are on land you can place them in a terrestrial set up, I usually still provide a shallow dish for them to pop into if they need to.
Could you add some photo's of them please ? I'd love to see what they look like as I have a group of spotted salamander larvae

Edit : Found your other post so added a link here.:- http://www.caudata.org/forum/f46-be...t-salamander-help/98137-identifying-help.html .

They do look like my larve :- http://www.caudata.org/forum/f1173-...breeding-larval-development-3.html#post421880

 

[tcbemis]

Thanks so much! I just woke up and now I'm terrified that one of them has drowned; I don't want to check on them. My husband spent so yesterday building a half water /half terrestrial 29 gallon tank for them, it'll be ready this afternoon. I think in the meantime I'll go at up a third critter carrier with a Terra cotta planter base w/water, surrounded by soil and put the mostly changed guys in there. I think that would have been MUCH simpler to begin with anyway lol. My husband's argument is that the top of the water has tons of love plant snafu, that they could climb and rest on. Fingers crossed! I'll try to attach a picture of the most advanced one from yesterday. Thanks again!

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[tcbemis]

So we made the setup I described and within 5 minutes he'd left the water. Now he's buried him /herself under some plants and seems quite happy.

Now... How do we make sure he's eating? I put a long skinny worm in there, which of course disappeared.... Probably into the soil, not into the sallie...

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