Do these barred tiger sals look healthy?

I wouldn't say that those tiger sals look unhealthy. They look a bit more like blotched tiger salamanders rather than barred tiger salamanders. The only reservation I would have is that there have been some negative rumblings about kingsnake.com in these forums. Not everyone has had the best experience with some of their vendors. I have never dealt with this website but if you're curious about what others have said, just go to the search button on this caudata forum and type in kingsnake. A thread with the title "ambystoma talpoideum?" comes up where they address some problems with kingsnake.com. Speaking for myself, if I was ever to purchase a newt or salamander, I would choose to do it through one of the members of this forum rather than from an unknown source.
 
While they looked pretty healthy when the picture was taken, my first concern is the substrate they are pictured on. If I did not know better, that looks like long dead sphagnum moss to me. That is a low pH substrate that has been shown to have detrimental health effects to many species, including Ambystomidae. Since the ad states "last 3 of the batch" I am even more leery.

My other reservation is the seller. I notice the ad makes no mention of their capture status. In the past this seller has claimed their tigers are captive bred in kingsnake.com ads (which is highly unlikely enough to be almost comical). While that may seem minor at first, the ethical and legal aspects of that specific lack of information is unsettling.

That is enough for me to say NO WAY. I am always distrustful of a lack of information in an advert for ANY product or service.

I have to agree with henslowsparrow 100%. It is always a wise choice to purchase animals from a reputable seller with the information and and documented public recognition to back it.

I understand your interest in this species though. I just recently got my first specimen after close to two years of searching! A bit of patience and some research will be your best decision making ammunition in this matter.
 
Ok guys i really appreciate the input. yall brought up some great points so I'm gonna stay away from this guy and look for some more known breeders on kingsnake and im also gonna keep checking this forum for any tigers that may be put up for sale.
Thanks for the time!
 
They look alright but amphibs rarely show health problems until something is drastically wrong.Buying sight unseen is a risk too.I personally would look for a hobbyist type who specializes in what you are looking for.There are both good and bad on KS,but many are just looking to make a buck.When you find something interesting,communicate with the seller,people who care make an effort.The particular merchant seems to offer many types of snakes but few amphibs,I personally would stay away !
 
Decount062 said:
They look alright but amphibs rarely show health problems until something is drastically wrong.Buying sight unseen is a risk too.I personally would look for a hobbyist type who specializes in what you are looking for.There are both good and bad on KS,but many are just looking to make a buck.When you find something interesting,communicate with the seller,people who care make an effort.The particular merchant seems to offer many types of snakes but few amphibs,I personally would stay away !
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ya i think im going to stick to this site and wait till someone comes along whose selling tigers
 
Just for a touch of realism. Most of the people who list animals on this site are either breeders or the rare occasional pet owner that are looking for a new home for an old pet. As a result, I think Tiger salamanders rarely appear on this website. It is quite a challenge to breed them in captivity, and maybe since they're such great animals people rarely want to part with them. If you are truly determined to have a tiger, then I think that the realistic options available to the average "joe" is a local retailer, a fish bait shop, Kingsnake, or capture your own (my favorite). Each option has it's own associated risks and ethical dilemmas, but they can be dealt with to maximize the odds of getting a healthy animal. You're odds of finding a captive bred tiger are slim, (although perhaps more likely that it would appear on this website than Kingsnake, still unlikely.) I suspect a mass collector of wild caught tigers for money would run into problems if they tried to post an ad on this forum.
 
At least one of them seems to have a patch of dried skin.
Personally i find Kingsnake to be awful....it allows mass collectors to sell WC animals without any problem...
 
What is scary about w.c. tigers is some populations are known vectors of disease. Their have been some "farm raised" tigers occasionally offered from a guy that has a landscaping business. He introduced tigers to his ponds and produces some there.

If you do decide on w.c. tigers be fussy about quarantine.
 
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