Animal care in a garden centre - please advise

[aimee]

Hi All
Regarding previous posts on here about mud-puppies, I have assumed they are not a very common kept species and/or are quite rare?
I ask this because a garden centre in my town centre who stocks in various differect types of animals (rabbits, mince, newts, frogs, fish, snakes, geckos, etc) has recently got about 5 or 6 in stock...
I bring this up now as I am apalled by the way the creatures look. I do not really know anything about mud-puppies but have been reading most of the posts about everything on this message board, and have gathered they need some care. The ones in the tank are kept in a 4ft tank with a very powerful filter and air stream system. The lighting is very poor and the tank is bare. The animals themselves are in very bad condition (from the way I see them anyway) . They all look undernourished and very skinny, and some are floating about, just going with the flow of the water. Others have huge lumps missing from their sides and the holes look very sore, red and uncomfortable. Also, I am not sure if mud-puppies do shed their skin but it looks to me like a white fungus is covering them all, they have huge white patches with long almost tentacle like gunge floating from it. I am really considering getting in contact with the RSPCA about the way some of the animals are kept. The most common pets they stock ie rabbits, mice, birds etc are cared for quite well, they are all nice and healthy but I am totally disgusted with everything else. I am no expert on all the species they have in, but I can tell just by looking at some of the animals they are not happy at all, prehaps the habitat is not suited for them or they are not fed often enough, I do not really know.
I would really like to do something about the way these animals are being kept but am at a loss. Somehow I do not think they would take much notice of a 16 year old complaining as I myself do not know how to care for them all correctly, but I do very strongly feel that if they do stock exotic animals they should at least do some reaserch on how they should be kept and how to treat them if they get ill? I would have thought the garden centre would have do that at least. I cannot count the number of times I have gone in there and overheard comments from people of how undernourished some of the animals look.
I really wish I could buy all of the animals in there and get them all healthy again, but due to money, space and lack of time I am unable to do that. So now I ask for advice on what I can do as the way the poor creatures look is making me extremely angry everytime I go in there.
Thanks and I greatly appreciate any advice}

 

[john]

Hi Aimee,

They are rarely seen in the UK.

The animals sound like they've been fighting and possibly went through a period of high temperature. Mudpuppies are very aggressive, particularly if they're hungry. The tank itself sounds fine unless they're heating it. These are fast running water species - they are quite streamlined and elongated. I've never seen a "fat" mudpuppy. They don't like bright light either, being more nocturnal and secretive than most newts and salamanders.

Actually, from what you describe, it sounds like they're being maintained adequately but they need lots of hiding places to hide up in during the day and to cut down on contact between individuals leading to fights.

I know the UK wholesaler of these and they are very knowledgeable with regard to amphibians, believe it or not. I suspect the damage either occurred at the garden centre or more likely on the way from the US to the wholesaler.

Either way, I don't know what you can do about it

. You could make suggestions to the garden centre based on what I've just said. These are far from an "easy" species. They need a large river tank and they are rarely seen except at feeding time. Not an ideal pet species, nor one for youngsters.

 

[aimee]

Hi John
Thanks for your advice.
I wasn't sure if the mud-puppies were being kept properly as I have never reaserched them but I can tell now from your advice that they are, minus the hiding places.
I will keep an eye on the other animals they have in there too. I enquired about the mud-puppies as they also have a freshwater stingray in a 4ft tank. It can hardly move and has to sit with its underside on the glass sides. Thankfully, it has been sold now and I hope the owners will put it in a better habitat.
Anyway, thank you for your adivce.