Where to release this sal?

[mike]

Hello all. kind of an odd situation i'm in right now. Yesterday night it was pretty cold outside, it was around 35 degrees last night. Anyway as my girlfriend went outside to smoke, our pug noticed somehting on her way out. The salamander was curled up laying next to our sliding door (We live on the bottom floor of an appartment building) the dog sniffed it real quick but the sal did not move. I thought it was dead, but uppon closer inspection it was not. I scooped him/her? onto a piece of paper and brought it inside. I put him in a gladware thing as it was the most suitable thing I could find to put it in.

http://msober.ath.cx/sal.jpg for a picture of it.

Anyway, after a half hour or so it started moving around a bit. I went and got it some crickets to eat. Anyway, I'm not quite sure where exactly it lives, as there is some construction around the appartments. I want to find the best place to release it so it can servive the winter ( do they have problems in cold climates w/ snow?) I went out and got a 60quart container and some organic nothing added top soil. Anyway, the sal seems to be 'up to par' health wise again, but I don't want it to freeze to death or anything like that. What should I do? I can take more pictures if you guys want

thanks, mike.

 

[hayden]

That salamander is a Tiger Sal...Here is a care sheet...I myself would Probably just keep over the winter to be safe...If it already Freezing at night he might not have time to Burrow away(I dont know much about them so anybody else Correct this) The care sheet is http://www.caudata.org/cc/species/Ambystoma/A_tigrinum.shtml

 

[mike]

It's not freezing down here yet, it was just a cold front. It's 63 right now, and the weather will be warm 60-75 for the next month or so most likely. It starts getting real cold middle of october. So I would rather release it than keep it for the winter. He does not seem happy in the plastic box.

 

[meghan]

Unless you're prepared to house it properly for the winter, I'd let it go where it won't get run over or tromped on.

 

[shaun]

Is it just me, or is there an injury on its head? If it seems to be infected or anything along those lines, I would try to keep it over winter.

 

[mike]

Shaen: I believe that was just a bit of orange reflection off of his shiny head from the camera

I had my mom let it go at her house, she has a nice big garden type area with a pond and waterfall area. so I'm sure he will have enough time to find a place to chill.

 

[mike]

Mike: That was a thought of mine, the layout of the garden, and the fact that nothing new will be planted, and he was released on the other side of it, by the water feature (no fish, or other animals) he should be okay. There is a field behind my moms house. I was going to release him by my house, but I don't know where he would go, there is new construction all around my apartments, and it won't stop till the last bit of field gets paved over. No more construction will go on where my mom lives, so he should be better off. I live in denver, CO.

 

[nancy]

Mike, I too have found four eastern newts in my house of all places!! Dont quite know what to do about them. NY is beginning to get cold already. I have tried to feed them freeze dried blood worms, to keep them alive until I can figure this out. Does anyone have an answer on temp. survival? I would only keep them as a last resort. Any other suggestions?