Marbled Salamander

[Tindomul]

I was hoping to have one of each sex, but I suppose Im not as good at sexing these as I would like to be. There is a difference between the sexes in coloring, brightness. And the size of the genital opening is different between the two, but only during mating season???? Im not even 100% sure.

[armagedon48]

my 10 inch tiger is for sure a male. over the later winter he has shown some major body changes. he developed the bulge right after his anus, which with reptiles always means boy. also, his tail has become much "taller" in the way that he is preparing to go swimming.
when watching a pair of red spotted newts i used to have court, the male used his tail a lot when trying to win the females attention. so i wonder if the increased hight of my tigers tail is him preparing to court females underwater or just to simply swim (since they do spawn underwater).

i think his "bulge" has become so visible because he is so fat. but the change of his tail definitely tells me that its a male preparing for spring time loving.

for your marbled salamanders, i suppose you should just have to wait and note any changes in their body shape or coloration throughout the seasons. if by chance you ever do breed them, think of me! i have wanted a few marbled salamanders for awhile now lol.

[smartie2000]

Ok cool....maybe you can they can have babies
They are very atractive for a slimy creature

[Tindomul]

Actually they are not slimy at all. They are also not reptiles, and the buldge(cloaca) rule might be the same with these amphibians. I think you are right. The enlarging tail of your newts is a sure sign that they are in the mood for some love. Newt style, hehe. Only the males get these larger tails during the breeding season.

[armagedon48]

they can be slimy if you rinse them in water, otherwise normally they are not. i know they are not reptiles, its just when talking about reptiles, most of the time amphibians are grouped in with the reptiles. (reptile expos have amphibians too!). what i should have said was "which with herps, always means boy". thank you for correcting the "bulge" lol, i couldn't think of the right word (cloaca). and i certainly agree that only the males have the larger tails in breeding season, which is why i used it as a way to determine gender.

you definitely seem to know your stuff, do you have any other reptiles/amphibians (herps)? i have two tiger salamanders and a breeding pair of Uroplatus Sikorae (mossy leaf-tail geckos) and a 65 gal reef tank. before i moved i had a chameleon, 4 turtles (2 snappers and 2 painted), bearded dragon, dumpy tree frog, plus what i have now.

[Tindomul]

I have an eastern painted turtle Chrysimis picta picta (I think I got that right), 3 Ambystoma maculatum (spotted salamander), 2 Dendrobates pumilio (strawberry poison dart), 1 Dendrobates azureus (blue poison dart), Bufo fowleri (fowlers toad), Hyla cinerea (American Green tree frog), 3 Melanophryniscus stelzneri (Pampas toads), 1 Bombina orientalis, 1 Cynops orientalis (firebelly newts), 2 Ambystoma opacum (Marbeled salies), 1 Taricha granulosa (rough skinned newt), and 3 wood frogs (I have no idea what the proper name is). I wasn't aware that they got slimy if you rinsed them. I knew some species are known for that, but not all. I rarely touch my animals, and I have not had the opportunity to handle my marbled salies. They are always hiding and I can't even check them out to see if they are boys or girls.

[armagedon48]

i house my tiger salamanders in coco bedding. they make tunnels in it and it keeps them hydrated. i dig mine out and handle them any time i have guest over. and i dig them out to feed them unless they are already out.
i change their entire bedding once a month as well, keeps them clean and healthy.

you have a nice collection.

im not sure if slimy is the best description of when the salamanders get wet. they dont secrete a slime (unless stressed, but its very sticky). you'll have to give one of your salamanders a dip in some water to see what im talkin about i guess.

[Tindomul]

Haha, give them a dip.
I setup underground caves for them and they use them. As a result I cant get to them without destroying the viv. I regret that sometimes. But they look nice and healthy when they do come out, so Im doing something right.

[daemondamian]

Awesome! Can you just feed them garden worms or do they have to be specially bred/cultured worms?

[Tindomul]

I feed them garden worms, crickets, wax worms. Etc... Anything they can catch and put in their mouths really. It has to be alive though.