Is a salamander making its burrow beneath a plastic water bowl fine? Also, dirt question.

[Stormymander]

Hey there!

So I know Salamanders love to slurp things up through their skin, and I wanted to make sure there was nothing bad they could get through resting beneath a plastic bowl. My salamander has been obsessed with sleeping under his bowl lately since it has a hollow underside and he likes to squish up into it. He seems intent on it being his new house. The bowl is mostly in there to keep humidity levels up, and I imagine it feels nice and cool, so I don't want to take it out of there, but just wanted to make sure it would pose no threat to him.

Beyond that, a quick dirt question. Anyone here have experience with Timberline Top Soil? Most of the dirt I swapped in recently is comprised of that. Wasn't sure if anyone knew if its acidity was fine. I've seen people recommend it for reptiles, but couldn't find any discussions regarding it for salamanders.

 

[Idnar196]

What kind of plastic is the bowl? If it is food safe, it is probably okay.

As far as Timberline soil goes. I might look elsewhere. Each bag is somewhat of a gamble. Usually very high in clay content and I have found branches and a lot of plastic in it. Not a uniform product whatsoever.
I also can't definitively prove that it is what caused a massive die off in my millipede tank, but it was the only recent change. Ever since I have been too afraid to use anything not sold specifically for animals for my more sensitive organisms.

 

[Stormymander]

What kind of plastic is the bowl? If it is food safe, it is probably okay.

As far as Timberline soil goes. I might look elsewhere. Each bag is somewhat of a gamble. Usually very high in clay content and I have found branches and a lot of plastic in it. Not a uniform product whatsoever.
I also can't definitively prove that it is what caused a massive die off in my millipede tank, but it was the only recent change. Ever since I have been too afraid to use anything not sold specifically for animals for my more sensitive organisms.

Thanks for the reply! I should probably invest into some salamander specific soil, although the current batch of Timberline that's in there seems fine. Will probably swap out for a pet-safe brand when it comes time to change the soil again.

I think the plastic bowl is foodsafe, so I suppose it won't be an issue.