Tiger salamander questions

[reid]

1. What is the average size of a tiger salamander when kept in captivity? The maximum?

2. What is the avrage lifespan of a tiger salamander?

3. How often do they molt?

4. Can you keep other salamanders of similar size with them? Can you keep A. tigrinum with A. mavortium?

 

[joan]

Average size will be about 12 inches. They can live for up to 20 years. Shedding can happen about once a month, but you probably won't see it as they eat it. A. tigrium and A. mavortium are practically the same species (and were for a long time the same species), but I doubt (unless you know collection data) that you would be able to tell them apart.

 

[reid]

I actually saw them molt a couple of times during the past weeks.

 

[reid]

They start rubbing there body angainst the logs and when they are done molting they look very shiny, which is very fun to watch.

 

[reid]

I thin they molt a little more than that, just molted today.

 

[joan]

Excessive molting is a sign of stress or fast growth.

 

[reid]

Is fast growth bad? How do you prevent stress?

 

[kara]

Preventing stress means doing everything possible to ensure your salamander is happy, a nice appropriate and clean habitat for starters, maintenence of temperature and water conditions, a good food supply, etc. Handling salamanders in excess will stress them out.

 

[reid]

I try to keep handling to a minimum. Keeping the salamanders cool is the biggest issue, what is the best method to keep them cool?

(Message edited by reid_h on September 17, 2006)

 

[reid]

Would my tiger salamander reach 12 inches?

 

[edward]

Some species and some populations of tiger salamanders are programmed for rapid growth but may not reach as large a size see http://www.caudata.org/cc/species/Ambystoma/A_tigrinum.shtml

The adult size is dependent on a number of factors including where it is from and how it was fed before it came into your hands.

Ed

 

[reid]

What size do they grow to? One of my tiger salamanders is about 6 1/2 inches and my second salamander is about 8 inches.

 

[dane]

12inches about is around the max I think

 

[edward]

It depends on the population it came from and the nutritional status before you recieved it. Growth slows significantly at sexual maturity but will continue throughout thier lifespan however if they are adults, I wouldn't expect them to reach 12 inches anytime soon (potentially taking years to do so) if they reach that size.

Ed