Fire salamander (Salamandra salamandra)

Short answers

Fire salamander: How big does the enclosure need to be?

100 × 50 × 50 cm for a pair, correspondingly larger for small groups; height is secondary — floor area and substrate depth matter.

Fire salamander: What temperature does it need?

Daytime 15–20 °C, briefly up to 22 °C in midsummer; permanently above 22 °C becomes critical, at night 10–15 °C.

Fire salamander: Does it need UVB lighting?

UVB: Optional.

Fire salamander: How long do they live?

Life expectancy: 20 years and more, individual animals over 50 years.

Fire salamander: Is it suitable for beginners?

Partly – manageable with some prior knowledge (difficulty: Beginner to intermediate).

Climate

Daytime temperature

15–20 °C, briefly up to 22 °C in midsummer; permanently above 22 °C becomes critical

Night temperature

10–15 °C

Basking spot

—

Humidity

75–90 %, without waterlogging in the substrate

UVB

Optional

Enclosure

Minimum size

100 × 50 × 50 cm for a pair, correspondingly larger for small groups; height is secondary — floor area and substrate depth matter

Substrate

Loose forest-floor substrate of leaf mould and coco fibre with moss and a leaf-litter layer, 10–16 cm deep for burrowing; plus a shallow water area with a gentle exit slope, not a deep pool

Feeding

Food

Earthworms, slugs, crickets, house crickets, isopods

Feeding interval

2–3× a week

Key facts

Adult size

15–20 cm (up to 25 cm)

Life expectancy

20 years and more, individual animals over 50 years

Origin

Central and southern Europe, humid deciduous forest

Protection status

Specially protected in Germany (Federal Species Protection Ordinance); taking from the wild is prohibited, proof of origin and registration required

Brumation

Winter dormancy from late November to late February at 4–8 °C, not below 4 °C; stop feeding beforehand

Cohabitation

Keeping similarly sized animals in a group is possible. Only put together animals of the same species and roughly the same size — smaller ones will otherwise be treated as food. Enough hides so that every animal can get out of the way.

Notes

A skin toxin (samandarine) – wash your hands after contact. Sensitive to heat (above 25 °C is dangerous); observe strict Bsal quarantine.

Do you keep this species?

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Related species

• Alpine salamander (Salamandra atra) – Expert
• North African fire salamander (Salamandra algira) – Intermediate
• Italian crested newt (Triturus carnifex) – Intermediate
• Anderson's crocodile newt (Echinotriton andersoni) – Expert
• Anderson's salamander (Ambystoma andersoni) – Intermediate
• Axolotl (Ambystoma mexicanum) – Beginner to intermediate
• Alpine newt (Ichthyosaura alpestris) – Beginner
• Blue-tailed fire-bellied newt (Cynops cyanurus) – Beginner

All species in the care wiki →

What you need to start

To keep Fire salamander (Salamandra salamandra) you typically need: a suitable enclosure (100 × 50 × 50 cm for a pair, correspondingly larger for small groups; height is secondary — floor area and substrate depth matter), substrate (Loose forest-floor substrate of leaf mould and coco fibre with moss and a leaf-litter layer, 10–16 cm deep for burrowing; plus a shallow water area with a gentle exit slope, not a deep pool), a heat source with a thermostat, UVB lighting, thermometer and hygrometer, a water dish and hides. You will find equipment in the Reptoria marketplace.