Curious about new salamander

[jordan3075]

I found this salamander this weekend and im not a hundred percent sure what species it is. i found it in southeastern manitoba, canada. its just shy of 5 inches long. im thinking its an eastern tiger salamander but id like to hear what anyone else has to say. the picks are poor quality. ill try to post better ones later this week

 

[jamminnewt]

Hi!

It is a nice looking fella. I agree it is a Tiger salamander of some sort. My reptile and amphibian book is not near me at the moment so I won't go farther than that and I know there are much more experienced herpers on this forum who can help you. I love the markings and coloration.

If I may ask, why did you decide to bring him home? I live in California and we have a lot of laws about picking up critters to take home, so I am actually rather jealous. I wish I found sals as I took my walks and could keep one or two as pets.

Good luck with the identification!

 

[Coastal Groovin]

Re: New salamander

It's an eastern tiger salamander. Not new to the area but not common. They are only found in the extreme southeastern part of Manitoba. Exactly where you found it. However they are rare and are listed as being vulnerable to extirpation. They are probably protected in Canada.

 

[jordan3075]

i brought him home cause i love critters. i have since i was a kid. i rarely find salamanders in these parts and to find a tiger is quite the find. as far as i know there's no law against the capture of reptiles and amphibians in these parts. ive been doing it since i was a kid. if there is no one enforces it

 

[RPM]

The third photo shows your salamander in an aquatic setting. You should maintain him in a terrestrial set up.

Check out the following for care of your salamander.
Caudata Culture Articles - Tiger Salamander 101

 

[jordan3075]

yes i know. that was a very temporary setup to keep him in til i could rig up something more permanent. hes in a much better setup now with dirt, leaves, logs, ferns, and a water dish

 

[jordan3075]

given his length and time of year would you say hes a this years hatchling recently gone through metamorphosis? and how fast do tigers grow? ive never had one in captivity before

 

[Griffin8891]

Tiger Salamanders can grow extremely fast if you feed them regularly. I had one that gained 3 inches in the first year that I had it. Be careful not to overfeed since they are notorious for getting obese though! The link Richard put up should cover that.

 

[jordan3075]

yeah i read about that and witnessed it first hand. hes been eating alot. even took a worm from my fingers yesterday. i've started regulating his feeding

 

[jordan3075]

any idea on his age?

 

[RPM]

I agree that he is a recent morph of a hatchling from this year. They grow very rapidly in their first year and into their second. Terrestrials tend to slow down when they reach 8-9”. Larval forms in ideal environmental conditions with an adequate food sources may reach 11-12” upon morphing by late summer of their first year.

 

[jordan3075]

i put up a bunch of pics of him in an album on my profile. check them out.

 

[jordan3075]

Here's a few tidbits.

 

[Tasha H]

In canada the keeping of wild amphibians varies from province to province. Here in Alberta any non-endangered amphibian may be kept (so that excludes the long toed salamander and one species of frog, which are endangered) In Ontario no wild salamanders may be kept if they are caught wild from within Ontario. However shipping a wild caught one from other parts I believe is legal.So it depends on your province. I can tell you it is not a protected species in Manitoba. Some provinces only let you keep one wild caught animal. So one wild tiger salamander, and no other wild caught species, ect. I think you should be fine, but if you really want to know you could call a wildlife officer.