What types of salamanders are available to you?

[kevin]

Maybe I should start with an introduction:

Hi, I'm Kevin. I'm 15 & I'm from Canada. I've kept salamanders since I was 11 or 12, redbacks that I found at my cottage...maybe not the greatest idea from an ethical or legal perspective but I am sure different people have different opinions on that, heh.

Hmm. I had some white's and some green tree frogs for a bit, too..when my white's died, I put two leopard geckos into that tank that the frog had abandoned, and they are doing great! =)

Actually, a week ago Friday I picked up three fire salamanders -- 2 females & a male. They're still I guess you would say sub-adults and I have been told they will be sexually mature in 6-8 months at which point I am looking forward to breeding them with the help of all the great advice on this site!

I also have a tiger salamander, and am possibly going to get two or three more while they are available at my favourite pet store.

Anyways, I don't know if this was the right forum for an introduction, so if it wasn't I apologize. But, I'm thrilled that I found this site -- it's the first big amphibian message forum I have found, and it's great to see that I'm not the only person that loves keeping salamanders!

I guess I am going to ask a general question to start...

Here where I am in the Greater Toronto Area, all I can really get are fires and tigers... sometimes marbles, but those are rare in the commercial trade here. Also a bunch of newts, fire-bellied, emperor, are the main types, but I'm not much a newt person.

I was wondering what types of salamanders are common it pet stores where you guys live. I'd also be interested in hearing what types of salamanders/newts you guys all have, and how many.

Really looking forward to your replies and posting regularly here.

 

[josh]

Well the only salamanders in my area that I can find are ones you have already said but the only ones I can EVER find in petshops are cynops orientalis and tiger salamanders (don't know the scientific name lol)

But I sadly don't have any newts or salamanders..

But I might get a couple of cynops orientalis

(Message edited by twig on November 14, 2005)

 

[andrew]

Here in NYC, I have on occasion seen the spotted salamander. Actually I saw a spotted salamander at Petland Discounts which they kept by itself in a 10 gallon terrarium, and they never sold it becuase they were selling it for $75

Other than that, its all newts. Mostly firebellies, and I once or twice saw Rough or California newt(not sure which is which), and I managed to buy a sick eastern newt once. Haven't seen any Salamanders since the first one I mentioned, and that was years ago.

As for other amphibian boards, the best one out there (with the exception of this one) is Dendroboard. There is also the Frog forum(Talk to the frog). Enjoy your new(not so new) addiction

 

[melanie]

Hello,
I'm new to this board aswell. I have 2 tiger salamanders and 1 dark one and 2 almost morphed dark ones. I got them from the pet store. The only kind I've ever seen are the dark ones and they sell them at the pet store and bait shop as bait!

My 2 yellow tigers where wild that people had found and brought to the pet store. I was in there and she was trying to sell it to a guy for bait and I saw him he was beautiful I fell in love bought him and have been addicted since! LOL

(Message edited by jennewt on November 19, 2005)

 

[andrew]

BAIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[josh]

I've never seen them as bait... come to think about it I've only seen 1 at a petstore in my life ...but why sell them as bait because then just 1 of them as bait would be like $20 just for 1 tiger salamander

 

[ian]

I heard tiger sala is very popularly used as bait in place they native to. At least their larvae are.

 

[melanie]

About paying $20.00 to use them as bait. I would never pay $20.00. Actually they are really cheap from the petstore they are $3.99 but at the bait shop there like a $1.00 a piece. But I'm closer to the petstore so I buy them there.

 

[josh]

They were that cheap? The lowest I've ever seen them is like $19 at Superpet!

 

[melanie]

Hmmm maybe I should learn how to ship them. I saw a pair on aquabid for something like $50.00. I could make a huge profit and save them from being eatin! LOL They usually only have the blotched though, the 2 barred tigers where brought in by people who found them in a huge parking lot. They are my favorite. I went to the pet store the other day and they had said they had a small maybe 4 inch barred tiger that a kid had brought in, but they said it died!

 

[melanie]

Ps. the other 2 newest dark ones in the pic above are now in the main tank, and doing well.

 

[jeff]

I would buy one from you, but its too cold right now to ship I think.

 

[melanie]

Oh yeah I agree it's too cold,our nights have been dropping down to the 20's. YIKES to cold! Freezing!!!!

LOL