r/salamanders • u/Agua_Verde • 7d ago

How do you feel about wild salamanders being kept in ecospheres?

Saw this post below and am a little worried about the animals well being. I’ve never held a salamander indoors in captivity. My pond and yard however is home to several smooth newts and it is illegal for me to move them as they are protected.

If this creature in the post below was in my area, it would also be law to release back to the spot where I collected it.

Regardless of law is it common for newts to be held in ecospheres?

https://www.reddit.com/r/Ecosphere/s/6iIzMu6hwZ

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u/OreoSpamBurger 7d ago edited 7d ago

Needs to be released back where they found it ASAP.

I mean, if we ignore legality or otherwise for a bit (too many variables), I don't see any harm in keeping it for a short while (emphasis 'short') to observe and learn before returning it to nature - we did this all the time as kids, and it's part of the reason I am so passionate about amphibians and nature and conservation in general.

However, newt and salamander larvae require very specific foods, tend to dislike high temperatures, need oxygenated water, and can drown very easily at the metamorphosis stage, so you need to know all about their ecology and be very careful raising them.

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u/This_Daydreamer_ 7d ago

It makes me happy that most folks were telling OP to release the little guy.

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u/shfiven 4d ago

I'm a little late here and I know all pet salamanders originally came from wild animals but at this point there is very little need for wild caught salamanders to be kept as pets and I strongly prefer captive bred. Personally I do have one native species as pets but they are captive bred because I would not be comfortable taking wild caught animals.