Posted by Kari Hatlevig on August 11, 2005

Q: Hi!! I just found a cute little fella about 2 inches long, black with yellow spots. Can I keep him? Where and how? Also what species is he?

Habitat: field/meadow

State: Minnesota

Habitat: field/meadow

A: Sounds like a Spotted Salamander to me. A two-incher is probably just a baby — they can get to be 9 inches long or more. You can see pictures I've got on the web at vernalpools.rtpi.org There is a description of their natural history available there as well.

I've successfully kept salamanders in a 10 gallon aquarium with a few inches of potting soil on the bottom and several small potted plants (to keep the humidity up.) You'll want to provide something under which the animal can hide — a curved fragment of a plant pot works well. Spotted salamanders live most of the year underground, and, when they do come out, it's mostly at night, so don't be surprised if your animal is fairly reclusive. Be sure to keep its aquarium damp by watering the plants often — a plant mister will help too. You might mist the aquarium in the evening to provide drinking water. Also provide a shallow bowl of water, although the salamander is more likely to drink drops of water off the plant leaves.

These salamanders eat invertebrates. You might have luck getting it to eat earthworms and other soft-bodied inverts. If you release live earthworms into the aquarium, the salamander can find them at is leisure. Be sure to monitor its food intake and release it if it appears to be losing weight.

Good luck!

Solon Morse ( August 11, 2005)