Is perlite or vermiculite poisonous to tiger salamanders? Is it absorbed through the skin?

[mandygurl]

I purchased a plant to put in his terrarium( I use moss in the bottom), but it completely slipped my mind that their was either permiculite or vermiculite in it. For some reason he thinks digging into the little pot and living their is the best thing. Is vermiculite or permiculite poisonous and can it be absorbed through his skin. He's lost his appetite since i found him about 2 weeks ago in my basement almost frozen.

 

[John]

Re: Is permiculite or vermiculite poisonous to tiger salamanders? Is it absorbed through the skin?

It is inert - he should be fine but he might ingest some, which is never good.

 

[Jennewt]

Re: Is permiculite or vermiculite poisonous to tiger salamanders? Is it absorbed through the skin?

The reason he likes digging in the pot is that digging in dirt is their natural habit. I would suggest switching from moss to a soil-type substrate. And if you add live plants, rinse them thoroughly to remove all the soil they came with. The vermiculite and perlite per se aren't toxic. But commercial house plants are often treated with other chemicals (fertilizers and pesticides) that could be.

 

[Gregh]

Re: Is permiculite or vermiculite poisonous to tiger salamanders? Is it absorbed through the skin?

I never understood their evolution lol.

A tiger sal could die by eating dirt, yet it no doubt ate a lot of dirt eating worms, specially living under the dirt a lot of the time. My paddletail can't eat rocks the size of its throat without dying, udnerstandable, but it lived in a river lol. Newts really seem to like tempting fate.

 

[mandygurl]

Re: Is permiculite or vermiculite poisonous to tiger salamanders? Is it absorbed through the skin?

What is better for his bedding sand or soil, all natural of course no chemicals or fertilizers.