Can't find 2 of my 3 redbacks?

[xTaraBoo]

So, I've had my red-backed salamander for a few weeks. Wow, it's been almost a month. Anyway... We found them in my backyard when we were cleaning my yard, and I wanted to keep them. The 3 sallies were together when we found them, so I figured they could stay together. I made a little temporary terrarium thing for them. Their names are John, Paul, and Ringo. Even though I'm not sure if they are in fact, all males, I didn't think they'd mind much. From the moment we caught them and put them in a cup, John was always moving around. The other 2 seemed to sleep a lot. When I moved them to the temporary terrarium, John was still the only one I saw. I knew I probably wasn't going to see them a lot, so I didn't worry about it. The last time I saw them was when I fed them one night. It was one of the only times I did see them. Last week when we moved them to the 30 gallon tank, we couldn't find the other 2. We put the temporary terrarium in the 30 gallon one so that they could crawl out of it themselves. After a few days of only seeing John in the 30 gallon, we searched for the others in both of the tanks. They weren't in the hiding spots or in the soil we looked through, and I'm wondering where they might be. The lid was on the tank all the time, and when I took it off, I made sure no one escaped. Did John eat them? Where could they be? Sorry about writing so much. Thanks in advance.

 

[ferret_corner]

This http://www.caudata.org/cc/species/Plethodon/P_cinereus.shtml doesn't look capable of eating a similar sized sal? I'm not familiar with these at all though.

Check your soil more thoroughly & double check the lid for gaps or holes you might have missed. I would say to disassemble the entire set up if that doesn't work.

Good luck!

 

[Nathan050793]

P.cinereus are notorious for being escape artists. What type of lid were you using? If it was a screen lid, depending on the size of the holes, they may very well have just climbed out through the screening.

 

[Melmo]

Well, Red Backs are able to climb smooth surfaces, in case you didn't already know. Usually, same sexes aren't aggressive, so cannibalism wasn't likely. If a medium size cricket would be able to escape, then a Red Back can. I really hope you find them, good luck.

 

[xTaraBoo]

Thanks for your suggestions, everyone. (=

Well, I went and looked more thoroughly with no luck. Yes, I do know they can climb. John has done it, but I don't think he was trying to get out; he was just hanging out on the wall.
But, what if they weren't the same sex? I didn't even bother to try to find out. I'm pretty sure they were a little bit smaller than John.

When they were in the temporary tank, the lid was saran wrap, and I made sure it was very very secure. It only had tiny toothpick holes in it. Now, in the 30 gallon, the lid is homemade, and the screen has small holes too.

 

[SludgeMunkey]

Just a hint...this does not always work, but it has saved me back when I had ropefish, notorious escape artists too.

Place a Teflon coated cookie sheet (to prevent rust) filled with sopping wet paper toweling on the floor near where the escape took place. If they are still alive, many times they will flock to it once the lights are out.

 

[xTaraBoo]

Thanks for your suggestion, SludgeMonkey, but unfotunately it didn't work. I've kept at it for a few days, but I haven't seen either of them. =/

 

[keithp]

Dont know if it's any help but these salamanders burrow deep and may hide in cracks in any decor you have, if you have a decor like fake logs or anything with holes check those, they can squeeze into very tight places.

If they were all the same size I cant see them eating another, they are thin salamanders, if one ate another you would notice because their bellies would be super round.

Also a word of warning, if you have any shallow water dishes, make sure they have grip on them like fake rock feel (in other words not super smooth ceramic) I had one redback die on me because it was in a very shallow water dish and couldnt get its footing and drowned. The water wasnt over it's head. I think they breath through their skin, not lungs, that could be why.

 

[SludgeMunkey]

Keith called that one pretty well. However, depending on the average humidity in your home, as much as I hate to say it, it could be too late.

However, I once had a batch of Southern Alligator Lizard hatchlings get loose due to an accident, and months later my girlfriend at the time discovered they were living in the bathroom....

"^%#$^% there is lizards all over the shower! &^$^%(!!!"

 

[Jake]

Whenever my newts/salamanders escape, I don't usually worry too much. If they're in a room with carpet they have less of a chance at surviving because they'll dry up faster. I just found a redback under a damp towel (placed there to find escapees) after the towel had been setting for a week in the corner, and after the redback had been missing for several months. This doesn't always work, but under a towel placed in the same place I've found: 1 P.cinereus, 4 H.dunni, 1 P.ruber, and 2 T.marmoratus juveniles, but none showed up right away, they took their time to find it. If you've lost them in a basement you can always dump a 5 gallon bucket of water on the floor and spread it around (under cabinets and other objects they could be hiding under). This usually works for me, but it's best to do it in the late evening and turn the lights off for at least half an hour before searching for them, it often draws them out of their hiding places.