Do all salamanders eat store-bought salamander food?

Question

I am thinking about getting a salamander. Do all of them eat store-bought salamander food? (like from PetSmart) Also, could I just feed it the food, or would I have to catch bugs, too?

Answer 1

Alright, I did this same thing when I was a kid, and I'm from Michigan too. If you manage to catch a newt or salamander, then you'll need to spend a couple dollars at a bait store every week to get leaf worms and grubs. They love leaf worms.

you can usually also get what's called "rosies" from the bait store. Those are little minnows, and they are also good for salamanders.

Buy a ten gallon tank for ten dollars. Fill it with about two inches of water. Get some natural moss from the craft section (make sure it's untreated, read the label). Make an island out of moss. It'll soak up water and make a damp retreat for your salamander. Put some bark and twigs in for it to climb on and hide under.

Never catch bugs to put in. Some bugs are toxic, and others will chew on the salamander. It's best to get it's food from a bait shop. Don't put more than two or three rosies in at a time, or they'll die before the salamander can eat them. Never use crickets.

You can set up a nice habitat for about twenty dollars. If you can't do twenty dollars, then you could cut it down to ten by going to walmarts and getting a plastic critter keeper instead of a ten gallon tank.

You really shouldn't use a box, or there's a good chance it'll get loose. It's going to cost a little bit no matter what.

Answer 2

If you're really desperate, you can try force feeding. There are plenty of videos about it on Youtube. From what you've said,it sounds like they're really mineral and vitamin deficient. They NEED to eat and get their required calcium powders on the food too. Don't be afraid to put a little more than usual on them because they need to get a head start on this.

Answer 3

umm obviously the SALAMANDER will eat SALAMANDER food!! but some bugs might be a nice treat

Answer 4

My guess is just the food, though if you were going to go with live food, you might be better off going with small-fry guppies. Anything you get in the wild will introduce diseases I guarantee will knock your little fella right out of the water.