Beginner here, help me out!

[gnome dome]

This is Horus, the Wise One. I'm a newbie when it comes to salamanders, and I have a small list of things that I'd like to know.

1. He's not eating anything (i've fed him water bugs and earthworms) and he's still alive. Of course, I'm not 100% sure he even eats the water bugs or not. What's the problem?
2. What exactly is he? He could be a newt for all I know, but the point is I'm not sure on his species either. We got these from a shallow creek in Muncie, Indiana..
3. I know his enclosure needs updated, but how is it now? It's an air-conditioned room with a fan blowing on it.
4. He won't get in the water anymore. His cage is about half water, and I hardly ever see him in it. He's always under the log in his cage. The water is city water, but it's been left out for at least 72 hours to allow the chlorine to dissipate.

Thanks for helping me! The info won't be just for me, but it'll also go to my buddies who have the same salamanders.

Pictures of salamander/enclosure:Horus The Wise One Photos by rokmonster96 | Photobucket

 

[Kaysie]

I would guess he's some sort of ambystomatid, but it's hard to tell. You'll have to provide better pictures.

He won't go into the water because it's a terrestrial salamander. Switch it over to a setup with 4-5 inches of dirt/coco fiber mix. Blowing air will quickly dry out amphibians and can kill them.

Leaving water to sit does not allow chloramines to dissipate. Check with your water treatment facility to determine what they use to chlorinate the water.

 

[gnome dome]

Thanks for the help; your information led me in the right direction! I believe he's a Jefferson Salamander, and he probably stays out of the water more than he used to because I got him as a larval salamander, and now he's an adult. So, I should reduce the soil-water ration in his cage and try feeding him worms instead? Also, is there anything else I can do for him?

 

[gnome dome]

My town also uses chlorine as apposed to chloramine, which dissipates partially from water in 24 hours and completely from water in 72 hours. When chlorine salt breaks into ions in water, chlorine ions bond with other free floating ions, becoming Cl(2), which is chlorine gas, which then dissapates from water. High school chemistry teaches you things!

 

[Kaysie]

It's not a Jefferson's. They're rare in Indiana, and have much longer toes. It may be a hybrid, the so-called "silvery" salamanders. Regardless, I would definitely switch to a 100% land based setup.

I wouldn't trust using just dissipation to dechlorinate your water. If you use a test and it's adequate, that's good, but most people have reported that it does take longer than a couple days for all the chlorine to dissipate. You can increase this by adding an air stone to your dechlorinating bucket.