Question: Can a Sal Hibernate in Captivity

[mandygurl]

Can a salamander hibernate while in captivity? I have a tiger sal and this is my first winter with him. A couple of days ago my sal buried himself under the log i have in his enclosure and blocked all the exits. He has not come out in a couple days and the days before he had very little appetite. Should i be looking under the log to see if hes ok or just leave him? I haven't put any crickets in for him to eat because i like to be able to see him so that nothing happens to him. The temperature in my house has not gotten below 18'C. What should i do?

 

[SludgeMunkey]

Burrowing is normal behavior for many Ambystomidae. They generally are only active on the surface at night.

Have a go at the Caudata Culture article on tigers and their care.

 

[Jennewt]

Some sals need to eat less when the weather is cooler. Pull him out once in a while and make sure he's looking fine and healthy. Otherwise, just let him burrow. Adjust his feedings so that there aren't leftover crickets all the time.