New to fire salamanders?

[mindfrog]

Hi everyone.I have recently got back into the hobby and started off keeping marbled newts and alpines, but i thought of getting into salamanders.I had a fire salamander many years ago so decided to give them a try once more.I have two salamandra salamandra terrestris,I don't know the sex of them at the moment and not sure of the age(but i was told they were sub adults).I am keeping them in a 24 inch by 12 inch glass vivarium with a mesh screen top.substrate is damp coconunt fibre on one side and dry bark chips on the other side,cork hides and a water bowl.humidity is 65%.temp is 20 degrees but drops to 15 at night.
I also have a blue moon light in there for veiwing.I have tried feeding them red worms but the don't seem intrested and black crickets but i have only seen one salamander eat one.tell me what you think.could i change anything in the viv.
cheers for your imput

jason.










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[Bellabelloo]

Mine are very skittish, and are prone to sprinting for cover as soon as they see me . I leave earthworm in a bowl for them, turn out the lights and I leave them to it. If I come back 5 or so minutes later they are usually all there tucking in. Recently I have started hand feeding them, some will take the worm from me.
How long have you had them for?

 

[Brian M]

Hey Jason,

I feed my female Salamandra salamandra terrestris earth worms, slugs, and small to medium crickets. She is not at all scittish and will rip worms out of my fingers during feeding. If your not sure if their eating the best thing to do is keep a tally of whats being giving as a food source. Just dont rip the tank apart counting crickets because this will add to the stress they may already be going through. Spraying the tank before feeding may also help to encourage feeding behavior. Best of luck

Brian

 

[mindfrog]

Thanks everyone.
I have had them for about two weeks now not really seen anything of them.i left them for the first few nights then added the food.what size food items would you recommend?in hind sight i think the crickets i have maybe to big,also i brought some feeding tongs today i will give these a try later.

 

[Brian M]

Hey Jason,

When it comes to feeding my fire salamander I use small (1/8 inch) to medium ( 1/4 inch) desert crickets. Even though she is an adult I dont use large crickets. I believe their exoskelton is harder to digest and they can pose a threat if they remain uneaten in the tank with the salamanders. Make sure you gut load your crickets for a day or two before you throw them in the tank. Some oats and a slice of fruit will suffice. Her favorite food is earthworms which i raise in an organic compost in my garden. The problem with them is availability ( April-November) rite now i have 20 inches of snow on the ground.

good luck

Brian