Unintended New Pet

[hansreb3]

Hello,
I live in Idaho, and I enjoy keeping all manner of critters. Ive always shyed away from amphibians because I heard they are hard to care for.
I was setting up some beetle traps for my masters thesis this week, and heard some chorus frogs in a nearby pond. I went to check them out and flip over some logs to look for other herps. I found a tiger salamnder with a bum leg, and a deformed back. I thought Id take it to he university, and they could maybe use it as a specimen since it was on the outs. I talked to our herp guy and we decided that the injury looked old and we could amputate the leg.

So, what advice do any of you have for helping a wild collected tiger to settle in?

 

[Silver]

The best advice I can offer is give him a cool, dark tank with a place to hide and leave him for a few days. The stress of having his leg amputated and being removed from the wild could be bad for him, so just give him a while to adjust on his own Lots of handling/bright lights would only stress him out further. I'm in Washington State, by the way, glad to know there's a fellow herper in the area!

By the way, I'm not attacking you for taking him out of the wild or having his leg amputated- I think it's cool that you're trying to rehabilitate him Just making sure my response didn't come off as hostile.

 

[JessKB]

If its an old wound why amputate it? Seems unnecessary.

A quick read through these articles will give you the best information that you need:

Caudata Culture Articles - Tiger Salamander 101

Caudata Culture Species Entry - Tiger salamander

 

[hansreb3]

Don't worry; I don't think your post sounded hostile. I don't think its ethical to take herps out of the wild just to keep them as pets. Honestly, if I had realized how old this tiger's injuries were while I was in the field I probably would have left him. I didn't want to handle him much, so I didn't give him a really close inspection in the field. I thought his next stop was going to be a specimen jar when we got to the university. (Well, euthanizued humanely...then specimen jar).

I've been leaving him alone in his terrarium (its moist, dark, has places to hide, and some water). I don't plan on doing anything medical with him for a couple weeks at least.
As for the leg and back...
His back is kinked a little funny; this is the old injury I'm going to leave alone.
His back left leg, however, is completely crushed and useless, but fully attached. It seems that if he could grow a new functioning leg, that would be better than leaving the old mangled one (even if it is healed). I have help from a local vet and the herp people at the university if we choose to amputate.

Thanks again for the links. I'll read some of these articles.

Here he is in his temporary home.

 

[EasternNewtLove]

I think it's great that you want to help the little guy out. I personally have always been drawn to animals with disabilities. One of my African Clawed Frogs is missing its back leg, a Red Backed Salamander I kept at one point had lost its front left foot, and I cared for a bronze frog I found thy ha a mangled foot but he didn't survive very long sadly. Could you take a picture of the foot? If its not functioning in my opinion, the best option would be amputation, and new functioning leg would grow in its place.

 

[Dcerdeiras]

I once took in a grass frog that lost its lower legs in a lawnmower accident. I was able to clean his wounds and keep him alive for a while, though feeding him was a hassle, until he died a few months later from unknown causes.

I think you are doing the right thing. I too don't agree with taking animals from the wild to be pets, but some their are exceptions. He seems comfortable enough in his tank, and I can see he has a place to hide.

 

[Jennewt]

The substrate looks wetter than I would recommend. It only needs to be just barely damp.

It's hard to judge from one photo, but his skin looks a bit unhealthy - dry and dark/wrinkled in some places. I may be mistaken about this, I'd need more/better pics.

Good luck!