FrogRaiserBen
New member
Hello everyone,
Earlier this year i came across an egg mass in my Ambystoma maculatum (yellow spotted salamander) tank and decided to raise and hatch the "tadpoles". The egg mass was hatched, and the salamanders were raised until they were comfortably eating water fleas/daphnia. All but 20 were released to a healthy vernal pool. The remaining 20 were raised to metamorphosis on bloodworms and water fleas, and then released in the same area.
Three "stagglers" that were smaller and farther behind the rest were kept. They are in a 50 gallon tank setup properly for them. They are about a week after metamorphosis, fully terrestrial.. Two are eating baby crickets, ants and worms very well and are quite active. The smallest of the three is not. They are in the 50 gallon tank along with 2 young wood Frogs. The tank is appropriately set up for the salamanders, so that is not a factor. I put in baby crickets, ants, springtails and various small insects from topsoil every day, and two of the salamanders crawl around slowly picking off anything that comes too close, and the frogs gobble up the leftovers. But the small salamander lays in the substrate with its head buried but body exposed. The substrate is more than loose and deep enough for him to burrow if he wanted. The little insects literally crawl over his body but he doesn't move or try to eat them.I have been watching closely and I have not seen him eat.
I have lots of experience raising frogs and know that they sometimes dont eat immediately after metamorphosis, but the other salamanders are eating very well, and the parents that I raised a few years ago ate fine as well. I have tried everything I can think of to feed him. Thawed frozen Bloodworms, live earthworms, Blackworms, mosquito larvae, every type of insect I could find. Nothing is working. He is significantly thinner than the other two and much less active. Any suggestions on how to get him to eat? Or what's wrong? I can't seem to figure it out.
Thanks everyone,
Ben
Earlier this year i came across an egg mass in my Ambystoma maculatum (yellow spotted salamander) tank and decided to raise and hatch the "tadpoles". The egg mass was hatched, and the salamanders were raised until they were comfortably eating water fleas/daphnia. All but 20 were released to a healthy vernal pool. The remaining 20 were raised to metamorphosis on bloodworms and water fleas, and then released in the same area.
Three "stagglers" that were smaller and farther behind the rest were kept. They are in a 50 gallon tank setup properly for them. They are about a week after metamorphosis, fully terrestrial.. Two are eating baby crickets, ants and worms very well and are quite active. The smallest of the three is not. They are in the 50 gallon tank along with 2 young wood Frogs. The tank is appropriately set up for the salamanders, so that is not a factor. I put in baby crickets, ants, springtails and various small insects from topsoil every day, and two of the salamanders crawl around slowly picking off anything that comes too close, and the frogs gobble up the leftovers. But the small salamander lays in the substrate with its head buried but body exposed. The substrate is more than loose and deep enough for him to burrow if he wanted. The little insects literally crawl over his body but he doesn't move or try to eat them.I have been watching closely and I have not seen him eat.
I have lots of experience raising frogs and know that they sometimes dont eat immediately after metamorphosis, but the other salamanders are eating very well, and the parents that I raised a few years ago ate fine as well. I have tried everything I can think of to feed him. Thawed frozen Bloodworms, live earthworms, Blackworms, mosquito larvae, every type of insect I could find. Nothing is working. He is significantly thinner than the other two and much less active. Any suggestions on how to get him to eat? Or what's wrong? I can't seem to figure it out.
Thanks everyone,
Ben