Vacation and salamanders

[schmiggle]

I'm not going to be home at the end of June and beginning of July, so I was wondering if someone in the Boston area would be willing to take care of my fire salamanders for that time (I'll be gone 10 days).

Alternatively, could I just leave them in the fridge with some sort of covering to keep in humidity and they'd be fine? I figure they won't need to eat, necessarily, because their metabolism will slow down so much. It seems simultaneously feasible and like a horrendous idea.

 

[Otterwoman]

How often do you feed them now? Ten days is not a long time for a sal to go without food. I wouldn't even bother with the fridge. Or put a few worms in their enclosure and let them hunt while you're gone.

 

[schmiggle]

Because their juveniles, I feed a couple of crickets every other day. Perhaps I worry too much. The other reason I was going to put them in the fridge is because my house gets rather hot in the summer.

 

[Jennewt]

10 days will be no problem even for juvs. If they are in good robust condition, they'll be just fine without food for 10 days.

 

[Otterwoman]

Don't leave a lot of crickets in the tank for them to eat. Don't leave more crickets than they can eat for one meal. The crickets will start biting them and they will die.

 

[schmiggle]

Thanks both of you! Otterwoman, I would never leave lots of live crickets in the tank, I was just explaining in case it was informative about how much I was feeding the salamanders.

 

[Schroedermi17]

I live north of Boston and understands your concern with the heat! You don't have a basement they could be housed in to keep them cool? And I agree with the others, a juvi may get a bit hungry but no worse for wear 10 days without food!

 

[schmiggle]

My basement also gets hot in the summer. I think the fridge will be fine.