Stressed salamander help!!!

[dmddorian]

Hi all! I’ve been worried that my new spotted salamander is too stressed out which is why he won’t eat. I have tried putting crickets in his tank by both tweezers and putting him in a smaller container with the crickets so he can hunt them himself, but he still won’t eat. After reading and worrying for hours, I think he may be stressed out as I just got him 2 days ago. Sadly, I called the store back and he is WC which makes me even more worried he will never destress and never get used to eating. I have decided to leave him alone as much as possible, but had a few questions too. 1. Should I put him in constant darkness for now so he can destress? 2. Should I leave earthworms outside of his hiding place so he can maybe come out and eat them at night? 3. How long should it take for him to get used to his new environment and start eating? I hope I didn’t disturb him so much that the damage is irreversible and he will never acclimate to his new habitat.

I should also add he has approximately 5inches deep of damp eco earth substrate, 29 gallons of space, a water dish, and 2 hiding spots. The temperature is also cool for him and I mist before going to bed with purified water. Is there any changes I should make? Thank you for taking the time to read this!

 

[Herpin Man]

Here's my advice:
Your enclosure size is good. I would use an eco earth and soil mix, covered with a layer of leaf litter. I would also add live plants that are easy to grow- pothos, spider plants, wandering jew, etc. There should be a water dish, and lots of bark pieces to hide under. Mist every couple of days and water the plants as needed, and the salamander should have enough moisture. Use an LED light for the plants (during the day), as they don't produce heat. You want to try to keep the enclosure below 70f.
For feeding, stop bugging it with tweezers or moving it into a smaller container. THAT is what is causing it stress. Don't dig it up to check on it, don't bother it at all. You may not see it very often. Put some earthworms in the enclosure for it to find. I would wait a few days, then put a few crickets in. Put them in at lights out, and mist the enclosure at the same time. That will encourage the salamander to come out and hunt.
If the crickets disappear over the course of a few days, that's how you will know that it's eating. Add some more. Resist the urge to dig it up and check on it. You'll just have to take it on faith that you have a salamander at all, and that it's eating, because you probably won't see it often, if you have it set up properly.
You shouldn't be upset or shocked to learn that it is wild caught. This species is very rarely bred in the U.S.

 

[dmddorian]

Thank you so much for your response, you’re a life savior

Here's my advice:
Your enclosure size is good. I would use an eco earth and soil mix, covered with a layer of leaf litter. I would also add live plants that are easy to grow- pothos, spider plants, wandering jew, etc. There should be a water dish, and lots of bark pieces to hide under. Mist every couple of days and water the plants as needed, and the salamander should have enough moisture. Use an LED light for the plants (during the day), as they don't produce heat. You want to try to keep the enclosure below 70f.
For feeding, stop bugging it with tweezers or moving it into a smaller container. THAT is what is causing it stress. Don't dig it up to check on it, don't bother it at all. You may not see it very often. Put some earthworms in the enclosure for it to find. I would wait a few days, then put a few crickets in. Put them in at lights out, and mist the enclosure at the same time. That will encourage the salamander to come out and hunt.
If the crickets disappear over the course of a few days, that's how you will know that it's eating. Add some more. Resist the urge to dig it up and check on it. You'll just have to take it on faith that you have a salamander at all, and that it's eating, because you probably won't see it often, if you have it set up properly.
You shouldn't be upset or shocked to learn that it is wild caught. This species is very rarely bred in the U.S.

Thank you so much for your response, you’re a life savior. This is very reassuring to hear!