Reptile & Amphibian Forums

here he is!!
my pride and joy!

he's adorable!!! do you have him in that waters edge tank thing? Are they hard to take care of and do they climb? i am thinking about getting one, any info would be great! thanks

yes hes in the waters edge thing.
but im taking him out because he stays in one corner and gharldy comes out of it.
but yes they are easy to care for.they eat alot.and they can over eat.so you gotta becareful not to feed them tomuch.
but they dont climb(or satleast mine doesnt)

tigers can climb some things like wood and strong plants if given the oppertunity. you should keep your tiger on a different substrate though. gravel is not condusive to a burrowing, terrestrial species of salamander. soil substrates are best for them and should be given at least 3" to burrow through. i know this is hard to do in a waters edge bio habitat, but when you move him you should reconsider your substrate choice (bed a beast; forest bed; dendro bedding; organic untreated topsoil, etc.)

To understand the nature and care of tiger salamanders, you may want to review this care guide:
http://www.caudata.org/cc/species/Ambystoma/A_tigrinum.shtml
Link

Long strand sphagnum moss or other types of mosses are often good for tiger salamanders too.
-SGS

thanks for the link, the one that I would get is the black one with yellow spots. do you have any pictures of their tank or them? also, do they need any type of UBV/UVA and what gallon size should their tank be? thanks a lot for your help!

Here is a nice link for suggested set ups for terrestial sals:
http://www.caudata.org/cc/articles/setups3.shtml
Here is some nice pix of tigers and a nice set up:
http://www.caudata.org/forum/messages/985/49108.html?1145977674
And here is some more general information on care of tigers:
http://www.caudata.org/cc/faq/FAQcar.shtml

The links may or may not work but you can copy and paste. Tigers do not need a light source and care must be taken to keep them from getting too warm - keep below 72F. General rule of thumb, an adult tiger should have 12 linear inches - assuming a normal-sized aquarium, that would be 10gal - 20 gal for 2 adults. An aquarium with a screen mesh top is nice. Large plastic containers such as storage boxes can also be used - of course this requires holes for ventilation and you need to prevent escape. Important key is to give them adequate spaces to burrow (substrate ~4 inches deep) and to hide (flat pieces of wood, shallow water dishes that are 8inches in length, etc.). I like to change/replace substrate every 6-8weeks. Coconut fiber mixed with top soil(not potting soil or anything with chemicals) is good. If you never have kept a terrestial sal, you may be disappointed - they rarely come out of hiding and they are not something you want to handle due to their very sensitive skin. There is a wealth of information on www.caudata.org re caring for these animals - I would recommend you jump over there and do some research if you really are interested in caring for these animals and keeping them healthy.
Link

thanks a lot for the info. and links. the link at the bottom had great pics of the tank set ups. i have naven't ever kept a salamander, but i'm used to not touching stuff and don't really care. If you give them lots of hiding spots (plants and stuff) will they still borrow as much? i have a free 10 gallon so that should be fine. thanks again!

You are welcome for the links and other information. Tigers burrow....they will burrow under the things like wood, large rocks, shallow water containers, etc., that you put in your tank. That is how they hide...and that is why they (along with other types of ambystomatids), are known as 'mole' salamanders. Some of mine will come out of hiding and roam a little...some never like to come out (or at least that I see)....they may well come out during the night but I have not observed them doing this. Mostly these guys just like to poke their heads out from under their hiding spot....especially at feeding time and when I approach their tanks. Tigers always seem to act hungry and that is one thing you need to guard against...over feeding can quickly lead to obesity.

thanks for answering all my question (again) but just one more: since i've never had one before how often should i feed them and how much- a generalization, i know it depends on the animal. thanks again!

Regarding 'how much' - general rule is to feed as much as they will eat at 'one feeding' so to speak. Regarding how often - 2 to 3 times per week. Nightcrawler worms are an optimal source of nutrition for tigers. Gut-loaded or calcium/vitamin dusted crickets are good as well. A variety of food seems to be enjoyed. Be careful not to leave too many uneaten crickets in the tank - they can bite the sal and cause problems. For an adult sal, large crickets are great. For juvenilles - small/medium sized are good.

thank you!

You are welcome and best of luck in maintaining a healthy tiger!