Sluggish Salamander

[tekishi13]

My biggest salamander has been acting weird again, he's been hiding all day and I have to fish him out of the cave to get him to eat. He's been eating kind of slowly too. Usually when I wiggle my finger in their cage he's one of he's first one to come over. But he just looks at my finger and stays in one spot. He's been like this for at least a week now. I don't know if his weight has anything to do with it but he does seem a little fat. Problem is, I don't have any other food for them other than freshwater shrimp. I don't know if he's sick or what but I have no idea what to do.

 

[JoshBA]

What kind of salamander is it?

 

[tekishi13]

Tiger Salamander

 

[RPM]

I suggest leaving him alone. He may not be hungry or tired of eating shrimp which I’m not sure is a good staple. Also suggest feeding them Canadian night crawlers which you should be able to purchase at bait shops and some Walmarts. How frequently are you feeding them?

 

[tekishi13]

I do feed them nightcrawlers I forgot to mention that, the shrimp is a treat, I feed them everyday at 9:30pm. I take one nightcrawler cut it into three sections because I have three salamanders. Whole nightcrawlers seem like too much.

 

[Jan]

Tigers can go through periods where they don't want to eat and would rather stay underground. Make sure your temperatures are within the recommended range. Feeding daily is not needed, a few times a week is sufficient. Obesity is unhealthy. See this article from Caudata Culture for care guidelines:

Caudata Culture Articles - Tiger Salamander 101

and this article on foods: Caudata Culture Articles - Food Items for Captive Caudates

 

[tekishi13]

Even if I'm only giving them a third of a night crawler I shouldn't feed them everyday?

 

[RPM]

They are opportunistic feeders and will eat most everyday if food is presented, but that does not mean you should feed them daily. In the wild they will go long periods of time without food. Feeding them two to three times a week will prevent them from putting on too much weight. I know they are hard to resist when begging for food daily.

 

[tekishi13]

Thanks for the advice, I have gone to feeding them every other day. They do beg for food and seem to know where I put the plate that I cut the food on.