Ambystoma maculatum (Spotted salamander)

Ambystoma maculatum (Spotted salamander)
Age: 10 to 15 years
Origin: Eastern side of the United States and southeastern Canada
Length: Up to 20 centimeters
The spotted salamander is completely black with a spot above each eye as well as two rows on the back and alternating spots on the left and right on the tail, usually the color of these spots is yellow and sometimes orange. Like many salamander species, they have a thick head and tail and short, broad legs.

Care
Experience: Novice amphibian keeper
Food: Insects
Feed adult: Every 2 to 3 days
Feed young: Daily
Water bowl: Yes
Water change: Daily

Power supply
The spotted salamander feeds on insects such as crickets, flies, moths, small grasshoppers and fruit flies. It is best to give these insects alive to promote hunting, this is good for the health of the animals. Remove uneaten prey to avoid disturbing or damaging resting frogs.

To compensate for a shortage of calcium and vitamin D3 in captivity, the prey animals can be powdered with vitamins and minerals, which can be purchased at a pet store.

Water
Spotted salamanders are poor swimmers so it is wise not to place a large water area in the terrarium. Of course, there must be a water bowl available from which they can drink.

Cleaning
Keeping the terrarium clean is very important. The water in the water bath should be changed weekly, because salamanders often use the water as a toilet. Inspect the terrarium daily, remove dirty furnishings, clean and replace. The entire terrarium and interior must be cleaned several times a year. If disinfectants are required for cleaning (only use mild variants), rinse everything well and dry. This prevents the sensitive frog skin from coming into contact with chemicals.

Handling
Handling salamanders is not recommended due to their thin and sensitive skin that absorbs substances. Holding the animals is therefore bad for their health. If it is unavoidable to handle the animals, it is important to first wash your hands thoroughly, without soap, and to handle the animal with wet hands. You can also pick them up with vinyl gloves. Given that salamanders are venomous, which is not dangerous to humans, it is important that you always wash your hands after handling.

Housing
Minimum enclosure size for 1 salamander: 20 litres
Day temperature: 15-22 degrees Celsius
Night temperature: 15-22 degrees Celsius
Hours of light: 14 hours in summer and 10 hours in winter
Humidity Level: 50-80%
Substrate: gravel, slate or aquarium sand.

Design
Make sure there is a thick layer of substrate in the terrarium for the animals to burrow into. This surface should be damp but not wet. Furthermore, the terrarium can be decorated with wood, stones or cork, place it in such a way that the salamander can hide behind it. The salamanders have sensitive skin and can also be damaged quickly, so it is important that any object in the terrarium has no sharp edges or points.

Behaviour
Hunting method: Active hunters but can also wait for prey to emerge from dense vegetation.
Lifestyle: Nocturnal

Character
Like most species of salamanders, these can often be found near water. Often they can be found underground, except when they cannot find enough food there they surface.

Points of attention
This species can be housed in groups. It is not recommended to house them with other animal species to avoid injury.

Cost and Purchase
Legislation:-
One-off costs: the costs of the animal and the accommodation.
Fixed costs: food and clean bedding.
Unexpected costs: vet costs should the animal become ill