Water bowl for new morphs

[sam]

I will be getting newly morphed s.s. salamandra soon and I was wondering if it is a good idea to have a water bowl for them, or if i should just keep the tank nice and wet. I have heard stories of them drowning in bowls, and I really dont want that to happen. If I should use a bowl, what is a good water height? Thanks a bunch.

 

[edward]

With very small amphibians that are at risk of drowning depending on the size of the animal I use petri dishes or the very shallow trays you place under flower pots.
Ed

 

[sam]

would a good rule of thumb then be, have the water level below their nose and have an easy way for them to exit the bowl?

 

[edward]

Hi Sam,
I would suggest using as shallow a container as possible and have the lip of the bols low enough that the animal can climb out without getting stressed. (Deeper containers can be partially filled in with gravel but this does make the bowl harder to clean).
The easy way out may not be easily located by a badly stressed salamander and animals can stress to death. It is better to have multiple exits or have the lip low enough that the entire perimiter can be used as an exit. (This also works fairly well for some newly morphed frogs).

Ed

 

[sergé]

I wouldn't use a waterbowl, better a small heap of wet kitchen towel somewhere in the terrarium. The can pick up moist through their skin. Just refresh it very regularly (every three days or so).