Waste disposal

[michael]

Hi,

This must sound like a rather stupid question, but I imagine that it is possibly important. I have had my two Ambystoma mavortium for more than two weeks now, and though they have not burrowed into the substrate at all, they seem to be perfectly healthy. They hang out in their coconut houses and happily feed on earthworm pieces and the occasional pinhead cricket. They are kept at temps ranging from 50-65 degrees.

Alright, here's the question: What does tiger salamander poop look like?! I read that these salamanders produce prodigious amounts of waste, and that it is important to remove it regularly, but I have not yet seen anything that looks remotely like feces, or even distinguishable in appearance from the substrate. I know that low temps may slow the metabolism and reduce waste production, but its been quite a while. Also, does the lack of burrowing seem like a warning sign to anyone? Thanks for entertaining my inexperienced questions.

Mike

 

[dane]

if you are using dirt as a substrate then for waste disposal all you have to do is remove the top layer of soil ever month I think

sal poop is the color of dirt, brownish blackish color

 

[jennifer]

Sometimes you can't tell it apart from the dirt. If you do see it, it will look like a shiny blob.

If you provide a water dish, some sals will very obligingly make their deposits in the water.

Lack of burrowing is OK. You might want to give them a head start by providing a dug-in area somewhere, or burying a piece of PVC pipe. A lot of tigers in the wild use pre-existing burrows of other animals, so they don't necessarily do a lot of their own digging - although some do.

 

[Jan]

My tigers are 9+ inches long and produce a poop that is ~ a 1 inch football-shaped stool (~1/2 inch at the widest part, brown in color). They are kept at ~72 degrees and seem to defecate every 4-5 days. If you are feeding crickets, you will find non-digested cricket parts in the poop (wings and heads...and even cricket eggs occasionally). My tigers always seem to defecate in their burroughs underneath their heavy water dishes...this is also where they hang out...their heads and shoulders always stick out, but their bodies are under the dishes unless they think it is feeding time and then they come out readily. So, every few days, I lift up their water dishes and remove the poop and some of the substrate...periodically will also find skin shed. I think some sals may eat their shed and their poop. I completely change their substrate every month. Best of luck with your tigers!

 

[michael]

Dane, Jennifer and Jan,

Thank you very much for your help and tips. I was reluctant to bother them in their homes, hoping that they would defecate outside or in their water dish. I will now check there for poops. I figure that if Jan's salamanders use the facilities every four to five days, then I should not be too alarmed even if mine have not gone yet, given the temperature of their tank.

I'm glad to hear also that they simply may not feel like burrowing when they have convenient coconut houses. I'll give them a few more weeks, and then may do a bit of digging for them.

Thanks again,
Mike