Terrestrial Setups

Terrestrial Setup #13

Dimensions: 120x40x50 cm; ~55 gallon
Animals: adult Tylototriton shanjing
Owner: Ester van Strien

Comments: The swimming pool is 35x22x5 cm (14x9x2 inches).

Terrestrial Setup #12

Dimensions: 30x62x25 cm; 12x25x10 inches
Animals: 5 young adult Ambystoma gracile
Owner: Pamela Jordaan

Comments: Normally, this is covered securely to prevent escape.

Terrestrial Setup #11

Dimensions: 120x45x30 cm; 45 gallons
Animals: 4 adult tiger salamanders
Owner: Mark Sobczak

Terrestrial Setup #10

Dimensions: 90x30x40 cm; 36x12x15 inches
Animals: Fire salamanders
Owner: Damian Money

Comments: Substrate is top soil and peat mixture.

Terrestrial Setup #9

Dimensions: 90x30x40 cm; 36x12x15 inches
Animals: Triturus marmoratus
Owner: Damian Money

Comments: Substrate is top soil and peat mixture.

Terrestrial Setup #8

Volume: 10 gallons
Dimensions: 50x25x25 cm
Animals: 3 juvenile fire salamanders
Owner: Jennifer Macke

Comments: The substrate is top soil topped with pillow moss and bark chips.

Terrestrial Setup #7

Dimensions: 100x50x50 cm; 40x20x20 inches
Animals: 4 fire salamanders
Owner: Zuccone

Comments: The right corner is a small water area. Real bark is fixed to the back with polyurethane foam.

Terrestrial Setup #6

Dimensions: 40x40 cm; 16x16 inches
Animals: 8 adult Triturus in the terrestrial phase
Owner: Juraj Lezovic

Terrestrial Setup #5

Dimensions: 40x40 cm; 16x16 inches
Animals: 5 juvenile fire salamanders (Salamandra)
Owner: Juraj Lezovic

Comments: Low plastic box.

Terrestrial Setup #4

Animals: Juvenile Triturus marmoratus
Owner: Coen Deurloo

Comments: This setup works well for feeding and monitoring small juveniles. In the back on the right you see a piece of apple to attract the fruitflies.

Terrestrial Setup #3

Dimensions: 3 shelves approx. 60x30 cm; 24x12 inches
Owner: Heather Bjornebo

Comments: This is a great way to save some space and provide room for your terrestrial caudates for a low cost. The substrate is 2 to 3 inches of tightly packed soil, kept moist, but not muddy. Hiding places should be provided. Water dishes are optional depending on whether the soil is kept at the right moisture level. Note that this setup is not recommended for smaller animals that may climb the sides and escape through cracks. It works well for Tylototriton shanjing.

Terrestrial Setup #2

Dimensions: 60x30x30 cm; 24x12x12 inches
Animal: 1 tiger salamander
Owner: Heather Bjornebo

Comments: This setup simulates an underground habitat for fossorial amphibians like Ambystomids. It is a large underbed storage box containing 4 to 5 inches of moist packed soil. Air holes are melted into the sides with a hot glue gun.

Terrestrial Setup #1

Volume: 15 gallons
Dimensions: 60x30x30 cm; 24x12x12 inches
Animals: 16 efts of Notophthalmus viridescens dorsalis (broken striped newt)
Owner: Jennifer Macke

Comments: These efts are very small - you can see one in the front/center of the tank. The water dish is made from a frozen food bowl. The substrate consists of layers of: gravel, charcoal, dirt, bed-a-beast and terrarium moss. The efts usually stay hidden under the moss until I spray in water, then they come out and crawl around.

For more setup photos, see Setting It Up.