Salamander Care
A Quick Look At Proper Salamander Care
There are many important factors to salamander care, and the first thing that you should do is to study materials which explain what they are, what they require in their natural habitats, and how to keep them healthy when you decide to keep them captive. There are three types of this amphibious creature, those who live strictly in water, those who live strictly on land, and those who are land dwelling until the winter hibernation. Salamander care will depend upon which type you choose, and if you have captured your new pet from outdoors you may want to find out what you’re dealing with before committing him to terrarium life.
Assuming that you are dealing with a land dwelling salamander, care will begin with the proper balance of humidity within the tank. He will need places to hide as well, and if you are familiar with the types of salamanders that we find under the leaves in the woods then you will understand the types of materials that you should make available. Gravel should be the foundation of your tank, and about two inches of depth should be sufficient. You will want to cover this with about two inches of potting soil, and then give a peat moss or natural turf floor over this. Mosses and small plants can be added, as the live ones should germinate with the humidity and moisture you will create within the tank.
Leaves, which can be changed out every now and then, will give a natural cover for your salamander to burrow in, but these can absorb some of the much needed moisture from the air so they may entail more work from you in the long run. Broken earthenware pots that have a rounded or curved shape made a great hiding and sleeping place for your little friends, as do pieces of bark and small, hollow logs. Proper salamander care will find a well stocked dish of water in his tank at all times, and you must be sure that it doesn’t evaporate with the heat that you provide.
That’s right, salamander care will almost always require a direct, artificial heat source, and the safest choice would be the mat heaters which radiate even heat from beneath your creatures, rather than baking them from overhead. They are least likely to cause fire and loss of amphibian life, and can be controlled much more easily than can bulb lights. Do your research and plan your budget before catching or purchasing your salamanders, and be sure that you choose the right one for your lifestyle. Most salamanders eat live feed, such as larvae and small bugs, so be prepared to handle the creepy crawlies.