Found a Tiger Salamander!

[snakeriver]

Hey guys! I was talking to my father and he said there has been a huge lizard living in our backyard for years! I went out there a few days back, and found that he or she is still living there. It lives in one of those big green boxes, in your front or backyard. We looked it up and figured out it is a Tiger Salamander! It is about 10 inches long. It is like a olive green color. We are feeding it mice and earth worms. Anyways, I got tired of calling it "it." Since we didn't know what sex the thing was, and I already had a male snake,I decided that it would be a girl. Then we named it Libby, my choice. :D

[Starbuck]

can you post pictures?
Stick to more invertebrate foods, mice are not really appropriate food for salamanders, but earthworms, bloodworms etc are great. If you get a picture of it from the side i may be able to tell you what the sex is.

[snakeriver]

Thanks so much for replying! So I just found online that they eat mice, if I am wrong that's fine because I haven't fed her yet. Also I would love to know what sex she is but sadly, we can only snap a photo from above. The photos are not great ether. I will be post pictures soon, after I figure out how to!:laugh:

[Deva]

I have a tiger salamander named Bill. He was just a little guy when I got him about 2 years ago, and he is still growing. He eats mostly crickets. He may eat worms, but I have never actually seen him do so. As to whether it is really a male, I have no idea.

Looking forward to that picture, snakeriver!

[snakeriver]

Nice, I am loving the name! I am trying to get the pictue up as soon as possible. How long is your lizard?

[Starbuck]

im confused? Tiger salamanders are amphibians, NOT lizards, and generally stop growing once they metamorphose into adults. Can you post pictures? Crickets are a good food for them, but earthworms and the like are what they predominately eat in the wild...

[snakeriver]

Sorry I don't know much about amphibians or lizards. Just snakes, but I can see where your confused. Again, my pictures are not with me right now, but I wil upload them as soon as possble.

[snakeriver]

http://i1302.photobucket.com/albums/ag124/snakeriver1/Tiger_zps4fae8121.jpg

[snakeriver]

http://i1302.photobucket.com/albums/ag124/snakeriver1/salamander2_zpsc66c9688.jpg

[Starbuck]

wow, (she)'s a nice looking gal! She appears very dark and lanky for a tiger salamander, but i can't tell if shes got the yellowish banding/pattern found in eastern tiger salamanders (i'm from new york). Nice find!

[snakeriver]

Oh thanks!!! Yes, I did see the stripes, there like a yellow brown color. If you don't mind, I would love for you to tell me everthing you know about this type of salamander.:)

[Starbuck]

heh heh I've never kept one, just taken some herp classes at my school, so i can't offer first hand experience.... but you should swing over to Caudata.org (http://www.caudata.org) , they are a forum like this one dealing with amphibians like newts, salamanders, and axolotls.

From what i know; these guys are classified as 'mole salamanders' and spend a lot of time burrowed underground, eating invertebrates like worms and other insects. Therefore, they need a pretty damp terrarium with burrows/hides. I do not believe they need any sort of special lighting, and infact a heat-emitting bulb has the potential to dry out both them and their environment. As always, water should be made available, but i do not believe they swim regularly like some newts. They normally brumate in the wild, but i dont think you NEED to brumate them in captivity, but those on caudata can help you there. Your gall should be fully grown at this point, and probably be fed every other day or so, deoending on what food you can offer her. Sorry i can't help more, but best of luck!

[Deva]

My tiger, Bill, is probably about 7 inches long although I have not measured him. He does stay buried for weeks on end, and then will come out for weeks, etc..

The yellow coloration has increased with age. Also, he is certainly larger than when I first got him.

http://i.imgur.com/O5bY9.jpg

[snakeriver]

Awesome, that's a nice looking guy! I have a question, do you need like any electronics, or just the terrarium, and the bedding and hides inside. Have a lot of fun with Bill!

[snakeriver]

Thanks for the info! I will definitely check the website out.

[Deva]

Snakeriver: Thanks, Bill is a fun guy! Bill is in a 20 gallon long aquarium with a screen top. There are potted plants and a good sized water dish in there with him. There are a couple of plants actually growing in the soil. It is a 50/50 mixture of top soil and coco fiber. I also have a clay pot resting on its side for a hide, but Bill seldom goes in there, preferring to dig under the water dish. I am sure he has a number of tunnels by now.

The plants in there are bromeliads and they are about to take over the tank! The lighting is just a regular aquarium fixture with a fluorescent light that goes across the entire length of the top. I leave this light on for 11 or 12 hours a day.