Fat Salamander?

[Bandida]

My yellow spotted salamander seems bigger then usual. I dont know if it is swollen or has gotten fatter. I don't see my salamander come out much since it likes the dark. I also notice that it is not moist but the skin is tacky dry. Am I doing something wrong? How often should I feed my salamander?

I feed it worms and crickets and ive tried those big green caterpiller worms from pet stores. I mist my tank once a night or when the soil looks dry. I have a screen lid- makes it hard to hold humidity.

 

[Neotenic_Jaymes]

My yellow spotted salamander seems bigger then usual. I dont know if it is swollen or has gotten fatter. I don't see my salamander come out much since it likes the dark. I also notice that it is not moist but the skin is tacky dry. Am I doing something wrong? How often should I feed my salamander?

I feed it worms and crickets and ive tried those big green caterpiller worms from pet stores. I mist my tank once a night or when the soil looks dry. I have a screen lid- makes it hard to hold humidity.

Its called becoming gravid with eggs. I have a few Ambystoma maculatums that have recently gotten bigger due to becoming gravid. Its natural for Yellow Spotted Salamanders to become gravid in late fall or while overwintering. Then in spring the mating occurs. Gravid females will just absorb the eggs if they never get the chance to mate.

Did your A. maculatum receive any sort of cooling period this past winter? Most salamander/newt species need a dormant/overwintering to truly become gravid. Even if the temps just dropped a little bit she may have borrowed and stayed inactive for long periods of time and developed eggs.

Look at mine!

 

[Bandida]

How do you know if they are male or female? I can't find a lot of information about them specifically. I did have the tank on the bare floor in a basement since December.

 

[Jan]

Here's an article from Caudata Culture regarding sexing caudates:
Caudata Culture Articles - Sexing

 

[Bandida]

How often should I feed my salamander? once a week?

Okay thank you very much for your help.

 

[Neotenic_Jaymes]

Its safe to feed a big worm once a week or so. If you see it refusing food then don't feed it for a couple days.

 

[Niels D]

"Hey, I'm not fat! I'm just gravid with eggs! Now refill my plate!"

 

[Bandida]

Hahahaha! Thats cute NielsD

 

[Niels D]

Of course this tigers just fat. She's spent the whole winter without any food, but she hasn't lost any weight if you ask me.

Your mac seems to be carrying eggs though! Beautifull animal.

 

[Triturus87]

i think she becomes little salamanders in the next time. my firesalamanders are pregnant, too and they are much bigger than in autum! but that's normal!
and i feed them every second day...