How to Care for a Spotted Salamander

Spotted salamanders, also known as Ambystoma maculatum, are hardy and resilient terrestrial amphibians that make intriguing, low-maintenance pets. Bashful and secretive in the wild, "domesticated" spotted salamanders often warm up to their owners over time, learning to accept food offered from plastic feeding tongs. Bluish-black and covered with yellow or orange spots, spotted salamanders are attractive pets that can live in captivity for many years when provided with the proper care.

Things You'll Need

  • 10-gallon glass aquarium
  • Potting soil
  • Peat moss
  • Filtered, distilled, purified or spring water
  • Spray bottle
  • Small logs or cork bark
  • Shallow bowl
  • Aquarium thermometer
  • Trout worms, waxworms, crickets, black worms or pill bugs
  • Reptile vitamins or calcium supplements
  • Small plastic tweezers or tongs
  • Ventilated plastic shoebox
  • Mild liquid soap
Show More

Instructions

    • 1

      Mix equal parts potting soil and damp sphagnum peat moss to create a moist and earthy substrate for your spotted salamander's home. Place 8 to 10 inches of the substrate mixture in the bottom of a 10-gallon glass aquarium. Mist the substrate daily with filtered, distilled, purified or spring water from a spray bottle to keep it slightly moist.

    • 2

      Arrange a few small logs or pieces of cork bark in the aquarium to give the spotted salamander places to hide. Note that plastic or ceramic logs are preferable to natural ones, as they will not mold or rot.

    • 3

      Fill a shallow bowl with distilled, spring, filtered or purified water and position it on one side of the aquarium so that your salamander can soak in it whenever it wants. Change the water every two to three days or as needed to keep it clean and free of substrate or feces.

    • 4

      Use an aquarium thermometer to monitor the temperature of the habitat. Keep the temperature of the aquarium between 55 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit to maintain a comfortable climate for your spotted salamander.

    • 5

      Offer your salamander food every two to three days. Provide a balanced and varied diet of trout worms, waxworms, crickets, black worms or pill bugs; dust food with reptile vitamins or a calcium supplement twice weekly to provide additional nutrients. Use a small pair of plastic tweezers or tongs to place food directly into the aquarium. Remove uneaten crickets after 15 to 20 minutes to prevent them from biting your spotted salamander.

    • 6

      Clean the habitat every two to three months to keep your pet healthy; place the spotted salamander in a ventilated plastic shoebox during the aquarium cleaning process. Wash the aquarium in warm, soapy water and rinse thoroughly under running water. Dry the aquarium, add fresh substrate, and replace the water bowl and hiding decorations. Return the salamander to its habitat.