Getting rid of a salamander

A

ana

Guest
Can anyone tell me how to get a salamader to get out of my garden. Every spring it has babies and all the babies get in the house everywhere, including the kiddies beds. I don't want to kill them but don't want them in the house, in fact I would like to get rid of the mother salamader from my garden so this doesn't happen again. Any ideas please?
Thanks
 
Based on her e-mail address, Ana is probably in Spain. I'm wondering if maybe she has lizards, not salamanders.
 
Then you can take it the next step. She doesn't mention a pond in the garden, so that might indicate a live bearer, and since there are few live bearers in Europe overall, and the e-mail address is probably Spain, then would we be looking at a Fire Salamander (bernardezi)? But I can't picture baby fire sals climbing up into "the kiddies beds".
 
I have tons of newts in my basement but that's only because it's really run down. Due to the fact that most of them can't last a day in side a house I doub't there could be a sal infestation.
 
"Get rid of the mother?"

The only rational option would be to move out of the house.
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(I'm kidding, but seems strange to post how to get rid of an animal on an animal lover's site.)
 
it seems strange that she would think that salamanders would climb into her children's beds. i'm with Jen on the lizard theory
 
Hi Mike et al,

I do actually live in Spain, in Madrid. They're quite common here and it's not illegal to kill them. However, that's not really my intention. I just want it out of my garden. It lives, I think, cos I only ever saw it once (and it looked preganant), in the cooler part of my garden in the rock garden, it's also very moist there. It has around 6 or 7 babies, and when I get to see them and catch them around my house they're around 6 cms. long, I know they're the babies. The mother is about 21 cms. long, and is greenish brown. They're not lizards, loads of those around too but they don't go into the house, not sure why the babies do actually, quite odd. I've been told by others that putting down garlic or any sort of citric peel might help repel it.

Thanks for your help, I really appreciate this.

A.

Remember guys, I don't want any harm to the mother, I just want her out of my garden. I know plenty of other great places she and her babies could go to. Maybe some tips on how to catch it?

sorry for the late reply
 
Actually, the babies look like the one that David has in his hand, in the picture he's posted. Exactly like that in fact.
 
My money's still on a lizard. If they are salamanders, catching them wouldn't be a issue - they're not renowned for their speed. Also - 21cm is a bit too large for an adult marbled newt. Some wall and rock lizards would have green and brown markings. A photo would help.

You could always get a cat....only joking
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If they are Triturus marmortus babies, most people on this site would envy you having your problem
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. 21 centimeters would probably have to be some kind of a record though. Take a look at this and see if you still think it's the same animal as in my picture Ana: http://www.caudata.org/cc/species/Triturus/T_marmoratus.shtml
Do you have a pond in your garden or near your house?
 
If they are marbled newts it would be illegal to kill them. They're protected throughout their range.
 
Moving them might be illegal to. Marbled newt's don't get pregnant and have hundreds of babies at a time, they also need ponds to breed.

(Message edited by ben_tajer on November 19, 2004)
 
Ok, here goes one last time to try and get you guys to understand, as for what I've read, you all seem to think they're newts or lizards. I have been living in Spain for 22 years now, and I most certainly know my lizards and salamanders (not so knowledgeable on newts as have never seen them locally). I live on the outskirts of Madrid, in the country, so there are quite literally loads of lizards and salamanders about. I know for sure they are salamanders (NOT LIZARDS, NOT NEWTS, PLEASE DON'T INSIST ON THIS). I would take a photo if I could find them. They don't come out at this time of year here in Spain as it's Autumn on it's way to Winter and very cold for them, so they must be sort of hibernating (or whatever they do, I'm no expert), they do come out around March or so, early Spring to get the warm air. When I do see one I will take a piccie for you guys and post it. I know they don't move as fast as lizards, that's why it's always been so easy for me to catch the babies (in my house, I insist) and take them out to the fields and let them lose there. The mother I haven't seen for some time, and I could have exaggerated with the centimetres, but it is certainly quite long, and have seen the big round belly (or maybe it's just like that), but of course I presume the little ones are hers, as she's the only big salamander I've seen in my garden for 3 years running now. Again, I'm not sure if it is a world-wide thing that it's illegal to catch them or kill them, but not here in Spain. Everyone has them in their gardens, and not only one, so if you guys are envious of these things running around my house, I can always send them to you, and not just the 6 or so I get, I can send hundreds of them.

Anyway, they're what I say they are, so if you can't give me any advice on expelling them from my garden, the I'll just have to find another way. I can catch the little ones, as that's easy enough when they're in my house, it's the big one I want to get rid of.

Many thanks all the same.

A.
 
I think this is an X-file...lets call Molder and Scully!!!
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Being serious I don't think a salamander would survive for long in a normal house unless you have a very damp and cool house.
Send us some pictures or try to indentify it by looking on some local wildlife book.

Best regards
Francesco

Btw if they are really marmoratus I'd be happy if you sent me some
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Yeah, indeed, let's call Mulder and Scully as I'm not getting much help from you guys!!! Sorry, no offence. The babies get in the house, the big one stays outside, for some reason. I will try and identify it for you lot, so you know exactly what species I'm talking about. In the mean time, I take it, as no one has given any suggestions, that you don't know how to repel it? I guess you guys only know how to look after them and all that, but not the other way around!! ;-)

Anyway, will try and check the web when I've got time.

Cheers.

A.
 
Ana,
show us a picture of it and we'll be able to tell you immediatly what's crawling around your house.
However in my opinion it's some kind of reptile.

PS I think we need an "x-files" topic in this forum for the unsolved mysteries like the 30cm black salamandra
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Hi Ana, a salamander and a newt are the same thing. If they do look like the picture I use with my posts, send me a hundred
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Hi Ana, on a practical note, it's fair to say that most temperate salamanders like cool, damp habitats with lots of dark hiding places. Unless you want to change your garden i.e. turf the rockery, they will probably come back. Why not identify where they get into the house and put some barriers in place. Block up any holes etc.. On the whole they can't climb that well so it shouldn't be too hard. Everyone can live in peace then.
 
There are no green salamanders in spain, the animal Dave has in his hand is a marbled newt. The only live bearing salamanders in your area are fire salamanders, black and yellow. What's their skin like, wet and slimy, moist and velvety, or dry and scaly? Do they run away quickly when harmed, or play dead, or try to slowly sneak away? Do they squeak when picked up? Are they diurnal or nocturnal? Do you have a garden pond? Most newts tend to be pretty active above 5º celcius.
 
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