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Tiger Salamander

Ambystoma tigrinum

BeginnerFamily Ambystomatidae

A big, bold, food-motivated "puppy dog" of a salamander — hardy and long-lived.

🖼️ Free Tiger Salamander wallpapers — phone & desktop →

A well-fed tiger salamander begging for food it doesn't need, 'performing' hunger. The point: tiger salamanders are food-motivated and beg convincingly, so they are easily overfed and prone to obesity.
A tiger salamander will beg like it's starving ten minutes after eating — they are food-obsessed and easily overfed, so judge by body condition, not the performance.

✅ We have a full, fact-checked care sheet for the Tiger Salamander.

Open the Tiger Salamander care sheet →

📋 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)

⛔ Never

  • Warm tanks (over ~78°F)
  • Gravel or swallowable substrate (fatal impaction)
  • Overfeeding (obesity / fatty liver)

Common tiger salamander questions

How hard are Tiger Salamanders to keep — are they good for beginners?

Beginner. Hardy and bold once set up — the two jobs are staying cool and not overfeeding.

What do Tiger Salamanders eat?

Earthworms (staple), crickets, the odd pinky — ~2×/week

What size tank do Tiger Salamanders need?

Terrestrial 20 gal+ (1 adult), deep moist substrate

What temperature do Tiger Salamanders need?

65–72°F · above ~78°F for long is dangerous

What substrate do Tiger Salamanders need?

Moist topsoil / coco fibre to burrow — NEVER gravel

How long do Tiger Salamanders live?

10–16+ years

What are the signs Tiger Salamanders are sick?

See an exotics vet if you notice: Obvious obesity (very common — cut the feeding back); Refusing food, or weight loss; Skin lesions or fungus; Signs of overheating (frantic, drying out, gaping).

Free tools for the tiger salamander

Calm, honest help — each one knows when to say "see a vet."

Symptom checkerTriage a worrying sign and know when to see a vet.Water-or-land plannerAquatic or terrestrial? Right for its life stage.Feeder cultureCulture your own feeder insects, cheaply.Male or female?The honest way to sex this one — and when you can tell.Common questionsReal questions keepers ask — answered straight.

📚 More salamanders guides

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Past the basics — genetics & morphs, responsible breeding, tankmates, and advanced setups. Same plain voice, no ceiling:

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