Salamandra s. terrestris juv and crickets

[ester]

I have 3 juvenile S. s. terrestris, they're 8cm (approximately 3 inches) long. 2 days ago I put a box of crickets into their terrarium. At first they were so interested that they came out during daytime to try and hunt them. I did notice how they'd mostly miss in their attempts to snatch a cricket. However, since that afternoon they hardly come out of hiding at all. I see them holed up in a small corner of a hiding stone day and night now.

These crickets are about one size up from micro's.

Should I remove all remaining crickets from their terrarium or just wait until they get used to them?

 

[jennifer]

I would remove them. The salamanders have probably eaten as much as they can, and now they just find the remaining crickets to be a nuisance. (Although they often missed, they probably succeeded in eating plenty.) Crickets will chew on salamanders if there is nothing else in the terrarium for them to chew.