Information on What a Salamander Eats

There are approximately 600 species of salamanders, according to AmphibiaWeb, and are all carnivores as adults. Their diet consists primarily of small land and water invertebrates such as worms, insects, spiders and slugs. Many salamanders also eat small vertebrates including rodents, fish and other amphibians. Like lizards, land dwelling salamanders catch prey with their sticky tongues. Aquatic salamanders employ suction, according to the Virginia Cooperative Extension.

  1. Adult Food

    • The salamander diet consists primarily of land and water invertebrates such as worms, insects, spiders and slugs. Many salamanders also eat small vertebrates including rodents, fish and other amphibians. On the whole, salamanders are not fussy eaters and eat almost any animal that is nontoxic and small enough for them to swallow.

    Larvae Food

    • Like other amphibians such as frogs and toads, salamanders have a fully aquatic, larval stage. Salamander larvae, however, are primarily carnivorous and don't normally go through a herbivorous, algae-eating stage. Salamander larvae eat prey animals of a suitable size including aquatic insects, crustaceans, snails, zooplankton, fish and quite often other salamander larvae. Intra-species cannibalism is common in salamander larvae, probably due to the pressure of competing for limited food in small pools, says the University of Georgia Savannah River Ecology Laboratory.

    How Salamanders Detect Food

    • Salamanders often find their prey by sight. They typically have good color vision and also can see ultraviolet light, which is invisible to humans. Some types of salamanders have lateral line sense organs on their sides. These allow them to detect the changes in pressure caused by the movement of other animals in the water.

    What to Feed a Pet Salamander

    • Most captive salamanders will eat the live food sold for reptiles and fish. Crickets, worms, grubs and feeder fish are all suitable. You should feed your salamander a varied diet and dust the prey items with a calcium or vitamin powder first.

    What Not to Feed a Pet Salamander

    • Salamanders are often toxic themselves but don't appear to be particularly sensitive to most food items. They prefer live food and may not eat food that isn't moving. While frozen food or pellets often have the correct nutrients, a salamander will probably ignore them. As with many pets, salamanders may eat more than is good for them and become obese, leading to serious health problems. Consult a veterinary specialist for diet advice if your pet appears to be gaining too much weight.