Other types of Fire Salamanders= Spotted Fire, Yellow Striped Fire, Bernadezi Fire, Near Eastern Fire, Portuguese Fire, Corsican Fire, Los Barrios Fire

Average Size: 4-13 inches

Lifespan: 3-10 years, up to 30 years

Hygiene and Health: Chlorine is toxic to salamanders, so use only distilled water, spring water, or tap water that has been allowed to sit for 24 hours in an open container. A shallow dish of water should be set into the substrate. Many salamanders enjoy soaking in a dish of water, and will defecate there (which makes cleaning easier.)

Every two to three weeks clean out the tank completely and sterilize using a reptile/amphibian friendly disinfectant. Sterilize any décor and carefully remove any live plants to replace when the tank has been cleaned. Your salamanders should be moved to a temporary tank whilst being cleaned.

Temperature and Humidity: Their temperature requirements are just room temperature. Actually be careful that they are not in a very warm spot as it may harm them. The humidity level should be between 65% to 75%. In order to obtain a good humidity level you may want to cover your screen top of the aquarium about 50% and mist the tank daily with the spray bottle.

Diet: Salamanders should be fed 2-3 times weekly with a varied diet of appropriately sized gut loaded insects, including meal worms, crickets, small grass hoppers, flour beetles, wax-worms, moths, caterpillars, earthworms, snails, spiders, roaches and woodlice. Feed 3 or 4 insects per salamander per feeding. The live food should be dusted with calcium supplements weekly, especially as they grow from Juvenile to adult. You can also throw in a guppy in the water bowl as they do like them too.

As adults your Salamander should be able to feed on the occasional pinkie mouse, but you should regard this as a treat item as regular feedings on mice can cause your Salamander to become obese.

Fire salamanders will actively hunt their food, instead of waiting for it to come to them like some other frogs and salamanders. This makes them enjoyable to watch at feeding time. In the wild Fire Salamanders will occasionally take carrion (dead prey items), as they also use their sense of smell to hunt out food, rather than just being attracted to movement.

Habitat: Adult Fire Salamanders are quite lively and require a larger terrarium than most ground dwelling amphibians. A 15-20 Gallon tank should be adequate for 2 adult salamanders. Use can use moss, reptile bark, potting soil, fish tank gravel, or sand. You also should have a few hiding places for them to go in. Fire salamanders are very inquisitive animals and like to explore new surroundings. Once in a while change the layout of the terrarium; this will keep your salamander from becoming bored. You will notice once you put your salamander(s) back in the tank it will start to re-explore its new surroundings.

Taming, Training and Handling: Fire salamanders are highly inquisitive and lively salamanders, but are nocturnal, so are more often seen exploring their tank in the evening and at night. They make an ideal first amphibian as they are relatively easy to care for, as long as low temperatures can be maintained. They can become quite tame with regular interactions with their keeper.

Regardless of ease of care, it should be noted that Fire Salamanders have paratoid glands that secrete a toxin that can cause skin irritations, so this should be taken into consideration if you are thinking about getting a Fire Salamander as a family or children's pet.

Handle your salamanders as little as possible. The salt on human skin is harmful to them. Always wet your hand in non-chlorinated water before picking up the salamander. This will prevent injury to the salamander and reduce the amount of salt on your hand. If your salamander should ever appear extremely puffy, it is probably reacting to contact with a toxic substance. Place it in a shallow bowl of chlorine free water for a few hours to allow it to purify its system.

Loner or Groupies: Salamanders are quite social and can be housed with other Fire salamanders if wanted.

Additional Info: It is believed that Fire Salamanders received their name by hiding in logs chopped for burning and then running out once the logs were placed on the fire. A myth grew up over this habit and our ancestors believed that they could not only withstand fire, but also that they lived in it.

Recommended Supplies: