Is it OK for my Tiger to eat some "dirt" while feeding?

[Jamberlyn]

I (to my great surprise) recently discovered a tiger salamander in my backyard. I live in the desert and have not seen a salamander here for the 20 years I've lived in Arizona.I guess he was attracted to the moisture of the garden (he was found under a tarp, where there was moist dirt). I'm guessing he was an escaped "water dog"/fishbait that became a salamander? Anyway, I'm now trying to figure out how to properly take care of this guy. I have several other critters (a tarantula, banded gecko and several toads) as well as dogs.

I've been reading about salamander care. I named him "Toothless" (he looks a lot like a wingless, yellow-spotted version of the "How to Train Your Dragon" main dragon character to me). He's in a 10 gallon tank with "Eco Earth" coconut fiber substrate, a water dish, and some wood bark shelter (including some aspen bark I collected myself, then heated and dried). He's got several inches of dirt to dig in and I mist it with water twice a day. (Given that this is the desert, it still dries out quickly- I wonder if I should soak the substrate more?)
I'm guessing "he"- I plan to try to sex him at some point, but right now I'm trying to get him used to captivity and don't want to handle/stress him too much. Not that I'm too worried about this, though- he's already started to "beg" and follow me around in his cage, hoping for more food!

He's got a healthy appetite and has loved the waxworms and crickets I've given him from Petco. I feed him earthworms, too, that I bought from from Wal-mart. But I have wondered if he's eating too much dirt when I feed him worms? I tried cleaning off the worm, but the coconut substrate sticks to both my salamander and the worm. Even if I try to keep the worm off the ground, as soon as Toothless is munching on it, it touches the ground again and gets substrate stuck to it again. I've tried cleaning the worm, then drying it off, but substrate still sticks to it and I worry too much ingested "dirt" may eventually harm my salamander.Should I try cutting up the worm? (They're the "dilly worms", the smallest that Wal-mart carries, but still several inches long.) Or should I feed him somewhere else, like a tub with no dirt at all? Or do I not need to worry?

Here's a photo of Toothless as he ate a worm. His water dish WAS clean shortly before this pic, but as soon as he takes a dunk it gets dirty again. I change it every night.

 

[Jackulwulf]

Everywhere I've read about coconut fiber is that it is safe for Tigers to ingest when they eat. I think it digests or it just passes through and has no risk for impaction problems so its fine for him to eat it.

 

[Kaysie]

I would be VERY concerned about collecting wild tiger salamanders in Arizona if you live within the range of the Sonoran tiger salamander. Sonoran tiger salamanders (Ambystoma mavortium stebbinsi) are Federally endangered, and should be left alone if found. If you live within this area, I would return Toothless to where you found it as quickly as possible, and contact your local Game and Fish office and tell them where you found it.

And if you don't live within the San Rafael Valley, you've got wonderful habitat for salamanders, and if you have the means, try to improve it to attract more!

 

[Jamberlyn]

It's Ok, he's not a Sonoran Tiger. Those are brown and yellow and far,far away from where I'm living.(I live on the other side of the state.)
Thanks for the info!

 

[Jackulwulf]

Do you use the compressed bricks of coconut fiber or do you use the already loose stuff? If your soil is drying out a lot you could try soaking it in water for a while, then wring it out after wards. The soil should be damp, but not so damp that it wrings out a lot of water. If that doesn't help to keep the soil from drying out then what you've been doing will do and as long as he has a water dish he won't dry out.

 

[Kaysie]

Another good way to keep the soil moist is to mix coco fiber with organic top soil. I have used Eco-Earth from Home Depot for years without any troubles. I find by mixing it together, it holds moisture and shape much better than either does alone.

 

[Jamberlyn]

Jackulwulf- I used the dry brick and soaked it, and it was damp for awhile but dries out quickly. I keep spraying with (what seems like lots of) water but noticed that even if the top layer is damp the layer underneath may be dry. So I guess I need to spray even more (and maybe mix the wet and dry by hand), or try a layer of topsoil. He does have a Petco water dish that is a few inches deep and he likes to use it briefly each night.

Kaysie- I'll look for that next time I'm near Home Depot. So you're saying that this organic topsoil is something like the Eco Earth for pets, but made for gardening? If it is Ok for him to digest as he eats, I'll try it out. (I guess it is, if your critters haven't had any problems with it!)

Thanks!

 

[Jamberlyn]

I've got another (dumb?) question.... don't know if I should make a seperate post or just ask here.
I read somewhere that tiger salamanders can eat pieces of bananas. My Mom had one, so I took a small piece (not from where she bit on the banana) and offered it to Toothless. He snatched it and "killed" it several times, shaking his head, before swallowing it. So I guess he liked it. But now I'm trying to find more than one source saying you can feed bananas to a tiger salamander and I'm not finding any more mention of that. Is this a good idea? He's looking at me like he wants more! I wouldn't plan on making it his regular diet but I would add it as a treat if it's OK.

 

[Jackulwulf]

Wow, banana?...that's different lol. I totally wouldn't know anything about whether its good for them or not. Though I am curious, hope someone can post and answer your questions on the matter.

Edit: Here's something that seems to support the idea of feeding bananas to Tigers. http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_should_you_feed_your_adult_Tiger_Salamander I don't know how credible it is though since its just a question and answer site.

 

[Kaysie]

I don't think bananas are an appropriate food for caudates. They're mostly just carnivores. I know my tigers will eat anything I offer them.

As for the top soil, the brand is called Eco Earth top soil. It's just a 50 pound bag of dirt. I mix it 1:1 with the coco fiber, mix it up really thoroughly. Then I give mine about a 6 inch layer. I pack the bottom 3 inches really well, and then leave the top 3 inches loose. Not sure how necessary that is though. But the way I see it, in the wild, they'd ingest dirt and duff and such with their meals. No one washes wild worms.

 

[tmarmoratus]

Wow, banana?...that's different lol. I totally wouldn't know anything about whether its good for them or not. Though I am curious, hope someone can post and answer your questions on the matter.

Edit: Here's something that seems to support the idea of feeding bananas to Tigers. Answers.com - How should you feed your adult Tiger Salamander I don't know how credible it is though since its just a question and answer site.

Not very credible at all, since this self-proclaimed "best and most salamander wise person to answer your question" not once mentions earthworms as a staple in the diet. "Fruit such as banana"? You've gotta be kidding me.

 

[Jamberlyn]

Jackulwulf and tmarmoratus: Yes, that's the link I had seen. But I agree that the poster's comments there (including their claim to be the #1 "best and most salamander wise person to answer your question"while also saying not to give the salamander a water dish, among the other reasons....) did make me have second thoughts. I see you agree.... Kaysie: Ok, no bananas.
Thanks everyone!

 

[Kaysie]

D'oh! This morning it dawned on me (as I was mixing up my eco-earth and looking at the bag of topsoil), the brand of soil is EarthGro, not eco-earth. Sorry!