What Should I Feed My Salamander?

When considering what to feed a salamander, it’s important to understand their specific dietary needs to ensure they thrive in captivity. Salamanders are typically carnivorous, relying on a diet rich in live prey. The types of food you can feed a salamander vary based on their species and size, but common options include small insects like crickets, worms, and occasionally small fish. Feeding your salamander appropriately not only supports their health and growth but also maintains their natural hunting behaviors, which is crucial for their overall well-being. In this article, we’ll explore the best practices for feeding salamanders, including the types and sizes of prey, feeding schedules, and tips to mimic their natural eating habits. This guide will provide you with the knowledge to confidently feed your salamander, ensuring they remain healthy and active.

Salamanders exist in a variety of breeds, each made up of different shapes, sizes, colors, and natural habitats. Just like with humans, a balanced diet and proper nutrition are key to the health and well-being of your pet. And like almost all amphibians, salamanders are carnivores. Understanding their natural diet is crucial, which is one reason why zoos and aquariums play an important role in animal conservation and education. To learn more about this, check out our article on 5 Reasons Zoos And Aquariums Are Important. Knowing what and what not to feed him can help ensure your little buddy has a healthy, long life. In this post, a veterinarian lays out a few salamander diet dos and don’ts.

Salamander Diet Dos

Dietary Needs

As amphibians, salamanders should be fed a carnivorous diet that consists of foods they would eat in their natural habitat. This includes both land and water environments. If your pet is a land-dweller, mealworms, insects,tubifex worms, crickets, and white worms should make up the bulk of his diet. For water-dwellers, you’ll want to feed him water-borne critters, like brine shrimp, bloodworms, and nightcrawlers.

Commercial Food Options

Commercial food options or pellets are another way to go since they contain processed worms and insects. Still, processed foods shouldn’t be the main part of your salamander’s diet. As natural-born hunters, amphibians need to hunt for their food. Also, some captive breeds will just won’t eat pellets for that very reason. Feeding your salamander freeze-dried insects instead of live ones is another option to consider.

Salamander Diet Don’ts

Feeding Schedule

One common misconception about feeding salamanders, and amphibians in general, is that they should be fed every day. Actually, adult salamanders only need to be fed two or three times a week and feedings should occur at nighttime. It’s rather the juvenile or younger salamanders that need to be fed daily. And always have fresh, clean, chlorine-free water available for your little friend.

Fruits and Vegetables?

Your salamander’s digestive tract has a really hard time processing anything other than meat, so you shouldn’t feed him fruits or vegetables. However, your pet does still need some fruit and vegetable-based nutrients, so you’ll want to make sure the insects you feed him have been fed lots of fruits and vegetables.

Supplements?

Most amphibians don’t need vitamins and supplements in their diets. But your little salamander buddy will still need calcium powder supplements for bone health. Also, be sure to get calcium powder that doesn’t contain vitamin D3 since this can be toxic to amphibians.If you have more questions or want to schedule a checkup for your, don’t hesitate to call us today!

How to Feed a Salamander in 2025: Choosing the Right Food and Feeding Techniques

How do I choose appropriately-sized food for my salamander?

When selecting food for a salamander, consider the size of the prey in relation to the salamander’s mouth. Offer food items that are small enough to be swallowed whole, as salamanders lack the ability to chew. For terrestrial salamanders, suitable choices include mealworms, small crickets, and tubifex worms. Aquatic varieties thrive on appropriately sized waterborne prey like brine shrimp and bloodworms. Ensuring the food’s size matches your salamander’s capacity to ingest it whole is vital for their digestion and overall health.

How do I feed a reluctant salamander?

Feeding a salamander that shows reluctance can be challenging, but there are effective methods to encourage eating. Since salamanders are natural hunters, providing live prey such as mealworms, crickets, and tubifex worms can stimulate their hunting instincts and increase their willingness to eat. Additionally, offering a variety of prey can prevent boredom and enhance dietary intake. Avoid using pellets as the primary food source, as some salamanders may reject these entirely. Consistency in feeding times, particularly during the night when they are most active, also promotes regular eating habits. Ensure that any insects offered have been gut-loaded with nutritious fruits and vegetables to supplement the salamander’s diet indirectly.

How long should a feeding session last?

Salamanders, as carnivorous amphibians, have specific dietary needs that differ between juveniles and adults. Juvenile salamanders require daily feeding due to their rapid growth and development. In contrast, adult salamanders thrive with feeding sessions two to three times per week. These sessions should ideally occur at night, aligning with their natural nocturnal behaviors. Ensuring the feedings are spaced throughout the week helps mimic their natural hunting patterns, which is beneficial for their health and well-being in captivity.

Is it safe to feed wild-caught insects to salamanders?

Feeding wild-caught insects to salamanders poses several risks and is generally not recommended. Such insects can carry pesticides, pollutants, and parasites that may harm salamanders. Instead, it is safer to provide captive-bred insects, which are free from these harmful substances. Additionally, feeding nutritionally enriched insects (gut-loaded with fruits and vegetables) ensures that salamanders receive the necessary nutrients indirectly, which supports their overall health and bone strength, especially when supplemented with appropriate calcium powders that do not contain vitamin D3.

What are the dietary differences between specific salamander species?

Salamanders, being carnivorous amphibians, have dietary needs tailored to their specific habitats. Land-dwelling salamanders thrive on a diet of mealworms, crickets, and other terrestrial insects. In contrast, aquatic salamanders prefer water-borne prey such as brine shrimp, bloodworms, and nightcrawlers. While commercial food options like pellets exist, these should not dominate their diet due to their natural hunting instincts. It’s crucial to feed them live or freeze-dried prey to mimic natural feeding behaviors and ensure nutritional adequacy, supplemented by calcium powder for bone health, without vitamin D3 to avoid toxicity.

For more comprehensive advice on your pet’s dietary needs, including specialized nutrition plans for exotic pets like salamanders, consider our Vet Nutrition and Weight Management service. Our experts can provide tailored nutritional guidance to ensure your salamander stays healthy and thrives in captivity.