Sallies in my basement

[debra]

<font color="0000ff">I seem to have 2 salamanders in my basement, I fed them some earthworms, and they seemed hungry. I'm wondering if I should put them in an aquarium? Can anyone help with some suggestions?</font>

 

[jenny]

what type are they? or do you have a picture or can you describe what they look like?

 

[jennifer]

Interesting problem. I would usually tell someone not to take an animal from the wild, just let it fend for itself. But in this case, "wild" is already indoors. I guess the question is, do you want them as pets (keeping in mind that they live a long time)? Or would you want to put them outside in the spring? It is worth identifying the species, as you don't want to keep something that is protected.

http://www.caudata.org/cc/faq/faq.shtml

 

[dustin]

My grandparents end up w/ Tigers in thier basement every year. They leave them alone and in the spring they migrate back to the pond across the street.

 

[john]

how long so sallies live.

 

[michael]

If they found their way in they should find their way out. This is true if you have an unfinished damp basement. If it is a carpeted rec room that's a different story.

 

[mark]

That is awesome! I wish I had salamanders vacation to my basement every year.

 

[happierheart]

Also have found what seems to be a salamander in my basement in SW Pennsylvania.... Never seen b4... nor do I know what to do.... it is very dark almost black in color with spots.... doesn't seem to want to move much and when it does it is VERY slow... Help, what should I do? Don't want the little thing to die! I have a 7month old lab pup that frequents the basement with me while I do laundry...

 

[jacob]

sounds like you have a spotted salamander, its normal for him to be not so active at this time because its cold, and he should be hidernating now. I would put him in a rubbermaid with a hid box in it, but leave him in the basement, that way there is no huge change, if you put him outside he would most likely die. SO a rubbermaid with some slightly damp paper towle as substrate and a small hide box.

 

[paris]

my sister got a tiger in her crawlspace-she kept telling me he was in a water resiviour-its 3ft across but only 2 inches deep, he couldnt find his way out because it had steep sides. my brother in law said it was above freezing down there and i didnt know how to get there from the house so when i dropped by at halloween i didnt look for it, and my brother in law didnt feel like getting it out and setting it aside for me. my sister was mentioning it was looking thinner-i thought since it was active then some food down there would be active too-all that ever seemed to fall into that basin was a mouse that drowned-and they removed that-but not the tiger. at christmas my sister pointed out i should go and get it, so my brother in law showed me how to get there-he looked in and said-its dead......so here is my point-leaving it alone is risky, happierheart: you mention the dog and also its active-both of these are potentially dangerous. if its active but it doesnt eat then it may starve before spring, and that is providing it has access to enough moisture to keep it alive. debra-if the basement is damp enough and they arent at risk of wandering into a finished area then you may do ok with a shallow dish of water available so they can get some more moisture-if you fee its easier to take them out and put them in a tank-then do so, use the caresheets available at caudata culture-most ambystomas require similar conditions, so the tiger sal care sheet will do.

 

[jeff]

I would definatly try to capture them and provide a decent tank if it were me. I say this beacuse allthough the basemeant is looking like a good habatit for them now, when they move they might just move right on into a street or other bad location. I would give them a home for a few months, leave them alone with the exception of food, and then release them nearby in a good spot when the weather gets better. Or keep them as pets as long as you take good care of them. Too many newts are killed after so much trying, or get sold as fishbait....