Could do with some advice on a salamander thats not eating:(

[tcaa]

im lookin after a marble salamander for a friend while shes gone away for 3 months.
the first month went great, it ate well on crickets, mealworms and wax worms i gave it 2 bugs every other day like she told me. but for the last month it hasnt touched a thing, it was quite chubby when i first got him but now its lookin alittle wrinkly?
ive tried temptin it by rubbin the bugs around the mouth but that didnt work
ive done everything shes told me to do. what have i done wrong? or is this normal?
please help me

 

[Shizeric]

What kind of setup do you have? Have you tried earthworms or bloodworms?

 

[tcaa]

its a plastic tank with a vented lid, and the substrate i think she called it peat moss? theres abit of orchid bark mixed in with it and also some sphagnum moss scatter about. and theres a shallow water dish and acouple of peices of cork bark for hinds.

not tried any of those worms, would he be able to manage an earthworm? or have i gotta chop it? and do i try live bloodworm or can i use frozen?

 

[Kaysie]

Peat and sphagnum mosses can be pretty acidic, and aren't the most appropriate substrate for salamanders.

You should switch it over to a dirt-based set up.

How big is the salamander? Adults can easily handle a worm that is as long as they are. Juveniles will need smaller chunks.

 

[tcaa]

hes about 4 1/2 inches?
i could go buy some different substrate tomorra. would i ask for a dirt based one, or is it called something else, is there anything else u reccomend i get?

 

[Shizeric]

A lot of people use top soil mixed with coco fiber. A salamander that size should have no problem eating an earthworm.

 

[tcaa]

thanks for the substrate info everyone

but any idea why he wont eat? is this common? ill defo try the earthworms and let u know how it goes. i really dont want him to starve to death, especially as hes not mine, ill feel awful if anythin happens while im lookin after it

 

[Jennewt]

Caudata Culture Articles - Vivarium Substrates
If you go to buy a product, there are various "forest floor" substrates that are good. Coconut fiber is OK too.
Also, could the substrate be too wet or too dry? Looking "wrinkly" really doesn't sound good!

 

[tcaa]

i put earthworms in there today, but he wasnt interested ill check later tonight.

another thing id like to pick ur brains about is i had him out today, just to check over him, see if there were any lumps or cuts. and i notice on the white/grey areas that there were brownish/green tint blotches, i thought at first it was just dirt but it never came off when i rubbed my finger over them, its not raised and it doesnt feel any different. any ideas?

 

[Bellabelloo]

Would you be able to post a picture of him ?

 

[tcaa]

here he is...he looks so rough

 

[Kaysie]

Oh dear.

The blotches look like retained shed skin. To repeat what Jen said, it's either too wet or too dry. I'd lean toward dry, since it's not shedding properly.

FYI: It's a female. And it doesn't look skinny, but there's definitely something wrong.

 

[Jan]

This salamander is ill - probably why it hasn't eaten in a month. The skin - could be an infection or a manifestation of an underlying disease. If it were my animal, I would immediately get it out of the substrate that it has been in, place it in a hospital set-up using moistened paper towels in a new tank (in case it is infection) and place it in the coolest part of my home.

As you are 'baby-sitting' for this animal and may lack experience, you may find this article beneficial as it describes general care for this type of animal and a hospital set-up:
Caudata Culture Articles - Tiger Salamander 101

I recommend a visit to a vet that has experience with amphibians if at all possible.