Salamandera Laurel and Hardy

[Natalie]

I'm sooo excited! I have quintuplet fire salamanders! They are now just over 2 weeks old. I have raised many newt and axolotl larvae, but this is a bit different. No "jumping" for food as I am used to. Actually I don't see them eating at all. One is so fat, I am worried I am overfeeding, one or two are normal, and two or three are extremely skinny. Until now, I only remove dead food, hoping the skinny ones will put weight on. Anything I should be doing differently?

 

[Natalie]

 

[Natalie]

 

[JM29]

Nice pics, but are the five in the same tank or separate ones ?
Even with enough food, problems of dominance within caudates are frequent.
Moreover, cannibalistic trends are widespread in Salamandra larvae.
Perhaps the skinny ones would thrive better in separate tanks.

 

[Natalie]

Thanks. I had them outside in the garage separated before, but unfortunately I had to bring them in and put them together as it's just gotten so cold. Most of my other animals are also inside now, so it's a question of space. I will watch for missing digits, etc. and if the skinny guys seem bullied, I will come up with something.

 

[Natalie]

I was thinking after last night about a way of separating them. Now this fella is going on a serious diet!

 

[John]

I've never had "dominance" issues with fire salamander larvae together. They can get aggressive towards each other's legs and tails if they run out of food. That's why I feed them with live blackworms and always keep some in the water with them.

 

[Natalie]