Metamorph overeating? & mossy wood in tank...

[beatrice]

Hi-- Our wee metamorph (3 days on land) is doing very well, but I have a couple of questions.

* Is it possible to overfeed him? I've been putting pieces of earthworm in, and he has definitely eaten a big piece, and I think some of the rest. I've also put a couple of 1/2 inch crickets in every day, and those are all gone as well. This seems like a lot for his small belly (he is about 2" long), and I don't want to 'splode him...

* I'm setting up a larger tank for him to live in long term, and brought home some mossy wood from the woods today. It is very punky wood, from an old, old downed tree (prolly a maple), but I want to be sure that there is nothing in the moss or the wood that could harm him, since he was raised inside and perhaps doesn't have natural protection against outdoor ickies. Any ideas? I know these woods aren't ever sprayed with chemicals.

Thanks so much-- I appreciate all of the help I can get here.

Beatrice

 

[Jennewt]

What species is it? What size? I don't think it's possible to overfeed a juvenile. It's really awesome that it's eating well, as many new morphs don't.

If the moss is used to growing in a very wet place it might die in the terrarium and get nasty. Other than that I wouldn't worry about it (assuming you are raising a local species).

 

[beatrice]

I am pretty sure he is some kind of ambystomatid (not positive, as he was a wild caught larva a coworker gave me), and he is about 2" long. It's good to hear that he can eat his fill, as he has always been a piggy.

The moss was growing off the ground on a dead tree, so I think it might be able to withstand slightly drier than usual conditions-- I will be misting it regularly. I got it from woods a few towns away from where he was found, but the woods are similar (it's New Hampshire, it's all pretty much the same all over).

Thanks! Going to feed him some more crickets-- all of our worms crawled out of their container and dried to death on the floor. How they managed to move a lid with a rock on it, I don't know!