The Tiger Salamander Care Cheat-Sheet
Bognookhonest amphibian care · bognook.com
Tiger Salamander — Care Cheat-SheetBeginnerHardy and bold once set up — the two jobs are staying cool and not overfeeding.
📋 At a glance
- Tank
- Terrestrial 20 gal+ (1 adult), deep moist substrate
- Temp
- 65–72°F · above ~78°F for long is dangerous
- Floor
- Moist topsoil / coco fibre to burrow — NEVER gravel
- Food
- Earthworms (staple), crickets, the odd pinky — ~2×/week
- Lifespan
- 10–16+ years
✅ Bold, hardy and interactive — one of the easiest terrestrial salamanders, as long as you keep it cool.
🛒 Before you buy
- A cool room or a way to hold under ~72°F year-round
- Several inches of moist burrowing substrate + a hide
- A shallow dish of dechlorinated water
- Feeding tongs (eager, clumsy eaters — keep substrate out of the mouth)
A healthy one: Well-fleshed (not obese) · clear, smooth skin · alert · burrowing normally.
🚨 See a vet / act now if…
- Obvious obesity (very common — cut the feeding back)
- Refusing food, or weight loss
- Skin lesions or fungus
- Signs of overheating (frantic, drying out, gaping)
Cool them down, reduce stress, and contact an exotics vet — most issues are reversible if caught early.
⛔ Never
- Warm tanks (over ~78°F)
- Gravel or swallowable substrate (fatal impaction)
- Overfeeding (obesity / fatty liver)
🌿 Golden rules (all amphibians)
- Cycle the tank BEFORE the animal (ammonia = 0).
- Always dechlorinate tap water.
- Cool beats warm — most amphibians are cool/cold species.
- Look, don’t handle — their skin absorbs oils & soaps.
- Buy captive-bred, never wild-caught. Quarantine new arrivals.
- Never release a pet into the wild (it spreads disease).
- A real setup costs more than the animal — budget for it.
- When in doubt, ask — no shame in learning. 💚
