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salamander hibernation

J

junglebird

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Hello I got a marbled salamander in winter and now that its summer he is hibernating I was wondering If I need to feed his while he is hibernating and if so how would I do this
 
They don't hibernate in the summer. If it is hiding/not eating/burrowing, it is likely too dry, or too hot -- "aestivating", which isn't really a natural seasonal behavior for the species -- at least, not one that is good to promote in captivity (I don't think they need winter hibernation either).

Make sure housing and conditions are acceptable. I'd keep it in a dimly lit (or unlit) glass or plastic enclosure with good humidity and a little ventilation, lots of natural hides (cork tubes and flats work great, and some simple plants like pathos offer cover and hold moisture well), a loose substrate that holds moisture (peat/coco fiber mix, maybe), really moist on one half and a bit less moist on the other end, that is below 70 degrees F.
 
I already have all of these and he still burrows It thought it was natural because he is a mole salamander he plenty of places to hide and I spray him 5 times a day
 
Burrowing isn't the same as hibernating. Many animals burrow all year round, such as, like you mention, salamanders.

What do you mean that it is "hibernating"? Just burrowing, or something more? Because if it is burrowing, it should come out sometimes, like to eat (though I never kept salamanders on substrate that is deep enough for them to make a real burrow, as they can hide under cork and other substitutes just fine).

Is it taking food when offered? Or has it stopped eating as summer is approaching? If the latter, check conditions (temperature, especially).
 
I have four marbled newt efts, they are in 16x17x18" enclosure which I know is on the small side. My room temperature is around 75F thier average humidity in their habitat is around 75%. They are on a timed misting system which mists for ten seconds four times daily. Lately it's been a little warmer and I've noticed some of them are hanging out on the leaves of plants above the surface, one of them is just really shy and I only see him once a week or so. I have areas where the sphagnum Moss layer is quite thick and sometimes they do like to burrow in. I suspect it's probably for controlling their temperature etc. Ideally it would be good to keep their habitat closer to 70° or below. At some point I might look at adding either a chiller or a Peltier based cooling system. I'm wiring up some small fans today to improve circulation hopefully to lower humidity a little and decrease temperature a little, I expect I may need to mist a little more frequently with this change but expect to have slightly lower temperatures. It's my understanding that sustained temperatures approaching 80° or more are dangerous or stressful. My goal would be to keep them at around 65 to 70 degrees. If your temps regularly exceed 75 degrees, I would agree that temperature could be an issue.

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