Fire Salamanders

Out of the Ashes is an article found in the November 2005 Reptile magazine. This article is about Fire Salamanders. I chose this because i know nothing about salamanders and i thought they were cute. Fire Salamanders get their name from hiding in firewood, and were seen crawling out of burning timber. Their bellys are a gray to black color. What i like about the article was that on the necks of the Fire Salamanders contained two large glands. These glands release o toxin. The skin of the back bone up to the tip of tail contains toxin. The Fire Salamanders bright bright coloration is a warning to predators. Something i learned was that they are nocturnal. Their enclosure only needs to be dimly. However, do not keep them in total and constant darkness, because they can become blind. My question would be how to tell the sexes apart. They said that males are smaller and skinnier than females but not always. I would most defiantly purchase one of these. They seem like a chill pet to have. Online they about $40 to $50, but in stores im sure they are a little less. Fire Salamanders eat insects and nonliving food. The most common foods are earth worms, crickets, houseflies, housefly larvae, moths, and slugs. For nonliving food, offer strips of meat or fish. This species of salamanders can live up to 50 years in captivity. Peat moss is a good substrate, but should change it once a month. Keep the tank between 65 and 75 degrees. Higher than that can cause the Fire Salamander to get stressed out. In the summer keep the tank in a cooler area, and mist the tank often. A small pool of water is necessary to keep the humidity high, and helps shed and defecate. Fire Salamanders are easy to care for pets and are good beginning pets. They are good beginner species because of their strength and the ease of maintaining them in captivity. The most interesting thing about Fire Salamanders is that they can grow up to 30cm long, from head to the tip of the tail.