Reptile & Amphibian Forums

What are the tempurature tolerances for these salamanders before they stress out and die? Are they like Tigers in that lower 70's
are okay? I know the ensatina can't, but these others?
thanks in advance,
Nic

Spotted
Blue Spotted
Red Back
Dusky
Oregon Ensatina

I would suggest keeping every species there below 70 F and the ensantinas as close to 65 F as possible.
Thermal stress in all of the species other than the ensantinas can occur anywhere above 70 F and the closer you get to 75 and above the more likely it is to occur. One of the items with thermal stress is that it is affected by how fast the temperature changes and by how much. Any fast spikes in temperature risk the amphibian.

Ed

thanks a bunch Ed!

i would like to add to ed's data that i kept my ensatinas in an air conditioned room (on the floor) that was set to 60F, so maybe the tank could get as high as 65-and i lost 6 (painteds, sierras and blotched) untill i moved them to my fridge-they have lived in my fridge for nearly a year now and i have only lost 1 in that time (it was soon after i had moved them). only yellow eyed and monterays did well in that room.

Thanks Paris,
How cold is your Fridge? How often do you swap the air? I just
have one Oregon Ensatina and he's pretty young but still alive
in spite of the temp varying between 65-68. Do you have any pointers on special ensatina care? From the sound of it, I may have to buy a small fridge for him. Do you recomend it?
thanks again. this information helps a lot.