Archives for September 2008

Salamander questions

1. -I’m in marine biology (where you take care of aquatic animals) would salamanders be okay to keep as pets?
2. -can you tell me the different kinds of salamanders? (include pictures please)
3. -are there some poisonous salamanders?
4. *how much do they cost?
5. *can they swim? and if so in what kind of water?
6. *what size tank does it need?
7. *what does it prefer to eat?
8. *how can you tell if its healthy?
9. *how should the tank environment be made?
10. *does it require special care?

(questions with a * , I’m not sure if they’re possible to keep) I’m not asking for homework answers, my homework is to chose an organism. I’m trying to find out important things about it. I’d like to keep my animals alive for a long time thank you.

Here are a few responses to these great Salamander/newt questions:

A pet store would be a good place to start for info and search the Web for facts about stuff i had a salamander before that i caught in the woods under a rock near the stream. you can get a 10gal tank would be fine for about 3 or 4 of them if you want to get better quality salamander get one from a pet shop.

If you catch one yourself. get some rocks and stack them 2 high at one end leaving about 1/2 of the tank get some pea gravel for the other have you can get this at the pet store. fill the water till it comes up over the big rocks some so they can hide out under the rocks with out drowning. the other side should not be to full with the pea gravel a small layer will do fine.

When you complete this your tank should be have land and about have water. so they can swim and get out of the water when they want. you can use the light that comes with the aquarium but be sure not to leave it on all day 3to5 hours a day will be enough. they have food at the pet store’s but They eat insect and snails about 3 times a week. well that about covers that here is some more info have fun

Here’s a helpful article that you might find useful (www.San Diego Zoo.org for more info)

Class: Amphibia (Amphibians)

Order: Caudata

Families: 9

Genera: 60

Species: 358

Size: largest—Japanese giant salamander Andrias japonicus, head-to-tail length 6 feet (1.8 meters); smallest—Thorius arboreus, head-to-tail length 0.6 inches (1.7 centimeters); most salamanders are 2 to 6 inches (5 to 15 centimeters)

Weight: largest—giant salamanders, up to 140 pounds (63 kilograms)

Life span: up to 55 years, depending on species

Number of young produced: from 1 to 450 eggs are laid, depending on species;
fire salamander Salamandra salamandra is a live-bearing species, giving birth to
10 to 30 young

Conservation status: Lake Lerma salamander Ambystoma lermaense and Sardinian brook salamander Euproctus platycephalus at critical risk; many others endangered.

Fun facts

• The fire salamander is the only amphibian that does not hatch from an egg.
Instead, the babies develop inside the mother’s body.

• Only two salamander species have small, pointed claws on their toes: the
long-tailed clawed salamander Onychodactylus fischeri and the Japanese clawed salamander Onychodactylus japonicus.

• The only cave-dwelling amphibian is a salamander called an olm. Olms have very pale skin and have adapted to living in complete darkness in underground pools of water.

• Salamanders can’t hear sounds, so they don’t make any either. However, some species can hug the ground to pick up sound vibrations with their bodies.

See them San Diego Zoo: fire salamanders and Mandarin newts Tylototriton shanjing at Reptile Mesa.

Is a newt a salamander?
Yes, but a salamander is not always a newt. Confused? The word “salamander” is the name for an entire group, or scientific order, of amphibians that have tails as adults. This includes animals commonly known as newts and sirens.

Most of the animals in the salamander order look like a cross between a lizard and a frog. They have moist, smooth skin like frogs, and long tails like lizards. The term “newt” is sometimes used for salamanders that spend most of each year living on land. The name “siren” is generally given to salamanders that have lungs as well as gills and never develop beyond the larval stage. Other names salamanders go by include olm, axolotl, spring lizard, water dog, mud puppy, hellbender, triton, and congo eel. Whew!

From head to toes Most salamanders are small, and few species are more than 6 inches (15 centimeters) long. Their heads are narrow and they have small eyes. Sirens have only two legs, but the other salamander species develop four legs as adults, with fleshy toes at the end of each foot. Some species, like paddle-tail newts Pachytriton labiatus and male palmate newts Triturus helveticus, have fully webbed feet with very short toes to help them climb on slippery surfaces. Those that like to dig, such as the tiger salamander Ambystoma tigrinum, have no webbing at all on their feet.

A salamander’s hind legs grow more slowly than its front legs. (Frogs and toads are just the opposite. Their hind legs grow more quickly than their front legs.) All four legs on a salamander are so short that its belly drags on the ground. The exception to this is the sirens. They don’t have hind legs at all! Their long, strong tails are flat to help sirens swim like a fish, with the tail flapping from side to side.

Take a deep breath

Different members of the salamander order have developed different ways of
breathing. Sirens keep their gills all their lives, allowing them to breathe
underwater. Others, such as the tiger salamander, lose their gills as they grow
older and develop lungs to breathe air. But most, like the arboreal salamander
Aneides lugubris and the California slender salamander Batrachoseps attenuatus, don’t have lungs or gills as adults. Commonly called lungless salamanders, they breathe through their skin and the thin membranes in the mouth and throat.

All wet!

Newts usually have smooth, slick skin and salamanders have dry, warty skin. But of course there are exceptions! A fire salamander’s Salamandra salamandra skin is smooth and damp, while crested newts Triturus cristatus shed their dry, warty skin when they return to the water to breed. But no matter what it may look or feel like, salamanders and newts need to keep their skin moist. If they get too hot and dry, they could die.

Land or water or both?

Since salamanders need to stay cool and moist to survive, those that live on
land are found in shady forested areas. They spend most of their time staying
out of the sun under rocks and logs, up in trees, or in burrows they’ve dug in
the damp earth. Some will seek out a pool of water where they can breed and lay their eggs, before returning to the land. Others, like sirens, olms Proteus
anguineus, and axolotls Ambystoma mexicanum, spend their entire lives in the
water.

Life cycle

Different salamander species have different life cycles, too. Some breed, lay
their eggs, and hatch on land. Others, such as some newts, breed and lay eggs in the water. When the eggs hatch, the larvae grow up in the water, then return to the land as adults. Still others, such as the giant salamander Andrias sp. and the hellbender Cryptobranchus alleganiensis, spend all the stages of their life cycle in water. Lungless salamanders have eggs that hatch directly into small salamanders, skipping the larval stage entirely!

Bringing up baby

Most salamander species hatch from eggs. Female salamanders that live entirely in the water lay more eggs—up to 450—than those that spend some time on land. The California newt Taricha torosa lays a clump of 7 to 30 eggs on underwater plants or exposed roots. The eggs are protected by a toxic gel-like membrane.

Lungless salamanders such as the spiny salamander Plethodon sp. are devoted
parents that share egg-guarding duties. They curl their bodies around the eggs and turn them over from time to time. This protects the eggs from predators and from fungal infections. Some mother newts keep their eggs safe by wrapping leaves around each one as they are laid—up to 400 eggs! Salamanders in the larval stage of their development are called efts.

What’s on the menu?

All salamanders are carnivores, but they are seldom in a hurry to catch their
meals. Because they move more slowly than other meat eaters, salamanders tend to eat slow-moving, soft-bodied creatures such as earthworms, slugs, and snails.

Larger species may eat fish, crayfish, and small mammals such as mice and
shrews. They might approach their target slowly, then make a quick grab with
their sharp teeth. Or they might hide and wait for a tasty meal to pass close
enough to snatch. Several species can flick out their tongues to catch their
food as it goes by.

Staying safe

Would you want to eat something that tasted awful or hurt your mouth? Probably not! Salamanders have some special ways to keep from becoming another animal’s next meal. Most salamanders, such as the red-spotted newt Notophthalmus viridescens, have brightly colored, poisonous skin. The bold color tells predators that the newt is not safe to eat. Many salamanders have glands on the back of the neck or on the tail. These glands can secrete a poisonous or bad-tasting liquid. Some species can even shed their tail during an attack and grow a new one later. The ribbed newt Pleurodeles waltl has needlelike rib tips.

It can squeeze its muscles to make the rib tips pierce through its skin and into
its enemy, teaching it a sharp lesson! The California salamander Ensatina
eschscholtzii stands high on its legs and waves its tail to scare away danger.
Humans: the biggest enemy Unfortunately, people are the salamanders’ worst enemy. Humans continue to pollute and destroy wetland habitats. Remember, these amphibians need water to survive. Filling in their ponds, using pesticides, and rerouting water for our own water needs has caused declines in many salamander populations. We need to help conserve remaining habitats and provide new gardens and parks for these unique creatures.

The Neat Facts About The Salamander Family Salamander

How does a salamander feel?

A salamander feels damp, smooth, and has no scales. It is also a cold blooded
amphibian. They are almost like lizards, but not quite.

Where does a salamander live?

When they are young they live in the water. When they are a little older and
more mature they live on damp land that is moist. Or in the Rain Forest.

How do salamanders move?

They either walk on four legs on land, or swim with their tail.

How do salamanders care for their young?

They lay jelly-covered eggs in the water. They lay each egg separately.

How do they protect themselves?

They camouflage themselves with the color of the land they’re on. But when
they’re still in the egg the jelly is thick.

What do they eat?

They eat insect and snails.

What is its classification?

The salamander is an amphibian. The adult salamander has limbs. But the small
salamander does not.

Would you like to know some interesting facts?

Salamanders have gills only when young. It feeds on what is available when it’s young. They also have huge eyes like frogs and toads.The enemy doesn’t want to bite the salamanders tail or it will be very unhappy.