By: Megan (Stormphyre) Perez
Tiger Salamander (Ambystoma tigrinum)
Life span: 15-20 years
Size: 6-13 inches, females tend to be bigger.
Native to: Southern Canada to Mexico
Appearance: They are the largest terrestrial
salamander. The snout is
wide and round, with small eyes. They have a very stocky body, and
range in colors from yellow to olive green to black. They either have
dark blotches or spots on a light background, or vice versa. Males
generally have a longer tail.
Classification: Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Subclass: Lissamphibia
Order: Caudata
Family: Ambystomatidae
Genus: Ambystoma
Species: A. tigrinum
Cage setup:
• Size: 15 gallons minimum though a 20 gallon long would be more
suitable (of course, the biggest habitat you can house and afford is
always better.)
• Substrate
: Coco fiber works wonderful. It holds the humidity and can
easily be burrowed in. Organic potting soil can also be used, however,
care must be taken to sterilize it before hand by baking it at 270°F
for half an hour to kill any parasites or bacteria that may be in it.
Avoid sand, gravel, and wood chips as they are unnatural, are
unsanitary, and if swallowed, can not be passed through and will build
up in the digestive tract. Gravel can not easily be burrowed through,
nor are wood chips. Parasites are often found in the wood chips as
well.
• Heat: Room temperature normally is fine for them, 75°F to 85°F.
Drastic temperature changes can be harmful. Be careful not to let the
temperature go above 85°F. If you live in a cold climate and the
temperature is going too low, a low wattage heat lamp will work fine.
To keep an eye on temperatures, you will need a thermometer. Digital
thermometers with probes work the best. Stick-on thermometers can be
20 degrees or more off! If you're using a heat lamp, place the probe
under the light.
• Light: A fluorescent light is fine, especially if you have live
plants. UVB is not necessary for these guys as they spend a good deal
of time burrowed down, however, it will not harm them. If you do
decide to get a UVB fluorescent light, avoid compact bulbs, and do not
go over a 5.0%.
• Humidity: 70% is ideal. To replicate the wild, you can let it
fluctuate some by letting it go down, but don't let it drop below 60%
and do not keep it down for very long. Likewise, you can have it reach
up to 80%, but just make sure the substrate
isn't sopping wet. Keep an
eye on your humidity with a digital hygrometer. Again, stick-on
hygrometers aren't very accurate.
• Water: A large shallow dish of dechlorinated water should always be
accessible. Make sure it is easy for the salamander to climb out of
as these guys do not swim very well for an amphibian.
• Other: You should provide at least two hiding places for your
salamander. Make sure there aren't any sharp sides to the decoration.
You can also put in live plants to help keep your humidity up. If you
decide to use live plants, make sure fertilizers haven't been used on
them. You can buy live plants from dart frog supplier stores such as
blackjungle.com.
Diet: They will eat just about anything that moves, and they also have
a low metabolism so care should be taken to make sure they do not
become obese. You should be fed 2 or 3 feeders every other day. They
can be fed soft bodied invertebrates such as crickets, silkworms,
nightcrawlers, butterworms, phoenix worms, roaches, and tomato worms.
Feeders should be gut loaded and dusted with pure calcium every
feeding, and once every four feedings, use a multi-vitamin. One of the
best brands for calcium and multi-vitamin dusting is Rep-cal. Make
sure the calcium has no phosphorus.
Other: These guys are mostly nocturnal
and are normally shy. However,
if you're feeding, watch your fingers as they have voracious appetites
and may mistake your fingers as something tasty. Do not house smaller
salamanders with these guys as they have been known to be
cannibalistic towards others smaller than them. Also, do not house
animals of other species with them. They may be eaten, or your
salamander injured. Different species have different requirements. It
is okay to house two tiger salamanders together as long as you have a
large habitat (a minimum of a 20 gallon long for two). If you are
introducing a new salamander, you MUST quarantine it for at least a
month before hand. Males shouldn't be housed together.
Handling: Wash your hands well before you handle your salamander.
Wearing latex gloves is recommended due to their fragile, porous skin.
Our hands produce oils, retain some residues from soap and lotions
that can be absorbed due to their porous skin and lead to illness or
damaged skin. Try to keep handling to a minimum, especially during the
first week you have your new pet.
Habitat maintenance: Every few months, the habitat should be broken
down and all decorations and the tank itself should be sterilized with
either a 10% bleach solution, watered down vinegar, but never use
Lysol or Pine-sol with them. Wooden and rock objects can be boiled or
baked to kill off bacteria. Fresh substrate
should be put in after the
tank is well dried.
Facts:
• Tiger salamanders are nocturnal
.
• Once hatched, they stay in a larval stage and metamorphose 2-5
months after hatching.
• They are able to regenerate limbs.
• Like all amphibians, they have porous skin and it is very sensitive
to the environment. Lack of amphibians in an area can be an indicator
of pollution.
• Larvae are entirely aquatic and have distinctive, frilly, external
gills. Their limbs are fully developed shortly after hatching.
• Tiger salamanders are the most widespread salamander species in North America.
