Inverts and Salamanders

[alan]

Hi,

Has anyone had any experience of keeping invertebrates in the same enclosures as salamanders. I'm thinking large sals such as Tigers or Fires perhaps with large millipedes (Not centipedes or anything carnivorous and nothing small enough to be eaten)?? I have heard of woodlice being mixed and read about millipedes being kept with geckos. Perhaps beneficial to substrate?
Would appreciate any opinions,

Alan

 

[shaun]

"Some species of millipedes can also secrete a foul-smelling/terrible tasting fluid through glands located alongside their body, near the legs on each segment. The toxicity of this fluid varies from species to species. For example, the excretions of some species can discolor human skin or irritate the eyes, others are corrosive, and some species even produce cyanide that can repel or kill insect predators."

-www.zoo.org

I can understand how they'd be good for the substrate, but I wouldn't want to risk losing the salamander (or millipede) if the salamander decided to attack. Even if the millipede was huge, the salamander could attempt to eat it, or at least bite off a few legs. I wouldn't risk it - get some woodlice.

 

[paris]

i agree with shaun-not a good idea-unless this set up is huge-like 400 gallons. i used to have the black giant millies (*snif* they were so cute-their legs twitch in their sleep) but they secreted a fluid that , yes tasted bad (hard not to taste it once it gets all over your hands)-smelled very pungent too! AND also stained my fingers for about a day -and these are the harmless ones. now if were talking about some of the common natives here to the USA -like those weird small pink ones in cali, or the big stripey yellow/brown ones on the east coast im sure they would be more likely to end up on the menu, so they arrangement wouldnt be a good one from their end. ive got wood lice and small millies in some of my tanks -they invited themselves, and im sure they are doing a good job, but i wouldnt have put the millies in on purpose, the wood lice yes, they are easily edible.

 

[alan]

Thanks for your thoughts. Woodlice it is!

 

[benjamin]

Just warning you, you'll lose a lot of woodlouse to the sals. Many amphibians eat woodlouse in the wild. Infact they'll probably eat every last woodlouse you put in there.

 

[jesper]

Hehe, "keeping" woodlice with sals would be like "keeping" lambs with lions. I would say that you mean to feed woodlice to sals. Good sport for the sals, ambush training.

 

[alan]

Thats a good point......theres always a steady supply of them in the back yard. I'll have to put in a few woodlice sized hiding places to give them a sporting chance!

Alan

 

[edward]

Woodlice are also fairly high in calcium. I do not know the calcium to phosphorus ratio but they do contain a fair amount of calcium. They are also easy to rear as a food culture. There are also orange one for sale as food cultures.

Ed

 

[paris]

am i just lucky enough to have the picky animals?-both a frog and a salamander that i gave them directly to -ate them then spat them out-the frog looked unnerved from all the legs kicking about in his mouth-the sal i thought was not fond of the taste...are these actually suitable prey for 'normal' amphibs? (i.e. -not my brats?)