Feeding Ambystoma gracile

[ambertastic]

I found one on the concrete outside my dorm about 3 weeks ago but haven't seen it eat yet - I'm keeping it in a rubbermaid bin with coco fiber, a little topsoil and leaves. I mist it every few days. He's been pretty inactive since he was found, unless picked up, then he starts squirming around. I've put a few earthworms in with him that I'm hoping he'll find on his own. I'm concerned since I took him inside, so now he should be eating MORE, right? I decided to try keeping him for a while since he was found in an odd place and hardly moved initially - I thought I could nurse him back to health - but I don't want to end up killing him instead!

 

[Jan]

It is fairly difficult to know if the sal is eating unless you observe him doing so. A couple of things you may want to try would be to feed size-appropriate crickets or chopped earthworms/nightcrawlers. Try dangling the chopped worm (or small whole worm) directly in front of him using a long wooden skewer....it takes patience. You can also do the same with dusted crickets...or place a few crickets in his tank in the evening and see how many remain the next morning - if none remain, they have either been eaten or escaped.

Check out this from Caudata Culture:http://www.caudata.org/cc/articles/foods.shtml

Is the Rubbermaid bin well ventilated?

 

[ambertastic]

Thanks, I'll give that a shot. I think it's well ventilated - the lid has a ton of small holes in it. I would say it's about as well ventilated as a covered aquarium, but certainly stuffier than outside... should I also put holes in the side or something?

 

[Jan]

If you have many holes in the top, that should be fine...with an aquarium, a screen top rather than a glass top is recommended. Don't known if you have seen this care sheet for tigers from Caudata Culture but in case not, you'll find it useful in the care of your ambystoma:
http://www.caudata.org/cc/species/Ambystoma/A_tigrinum.shtml