Tiger Salamander Care Sheet and Information

Common Name: Tiger Salamander

Latin name: Ambystoma tigrinum

Native to: Southern Canada to Mexico

Size: 6 - 13 inches snout-tail length

Life span: If kept properly they can survive 15 - 20 years in captivity

General appearance: The tiger salamander has wide rounded snout with a stocky body and small eyes. The coloration varies from black to olive green to even yellow. There are usually dark spots or blotches on a lighter background or yellow spots on a dark body giving it its "tiger" markings. Males generally have a longer tail.

Housing requirements:

Diet: Tiger salamanders eat anything they can fit in their mouths in the wild. In captivity they can be fed crickets, earthworms, wax worms and night crawlers. They can also occasionally be offered pinky mice. Catching wild insects to feed your salamander can be risky as these insects may contain pesticides and be harmful to your salamander. Because these salamanders can be cannibalistic it is not recommended to house smaller salamanders with larger salamanders.

Maintenance: The enclosure should be spot cleaned as needed and thoroughly cleaned and disinfected on a regular basis. A 5% bleach solution makes an excellent disinfectant. It is extremely important to completely rinse the enclosure and cage accessories so as to not poison the salamanders. Like all amphibians, salamanders' skin is very sensitive to the environment and the oils and salts from your hands could harm your salamander. It is recommended to handle these animals and little as possible and thoroughly wash your hands before and after handling the salamander and any cage accessories. Fresh water should be provided daily.

Other references or recommended reading: