Raising Salamanders and Frogs From Larvae

Last year, I went on a mission to raise frogs from tadpoles and a salamander from larvae. I caught all my tadpoles locally from a pond near my house, and because it’s around time to catch some again, I thought I could share my experiences! It was a crazy, wild ride that taught me quite a few things. 

Last year, I successfully raised one adult frog, Bob Bartholemew III Jr., and one adult salamander, Gila. This was part of Fish Club, which I created last year, and Alan C. in 7th grade, helped to keep them healthy while I was away. The salamander was a species of mole salamander called a long-toed salamander, Ambystoma macrodactylum. The frog was a northern red-legged frog, Rana aurora. Gila passed away this fall, and Bob is doing well in a pond that he escaped into. I still see him every now and then.

In this article, I will go over the process of caring for and raising them, as well as their metamorphosis. 

Catching them was fairly easy; however, you won’t find them if you don’t know where to look. The trick is to look near a forest. In my case, I live right next to the Cross Kirkland Corridor, a park with a forest. If you look in a large puddle or pond in late spring, I guarantee you will find some there. However, I do not recommend trying this yourself, as they are species from a sensitive environment! I took a few for scientific purposes, but do not try this for fun, especially if you have not kept fish, amphibians, or reptiles before. The only reason I was able to make them survive to adulthood was because of my prior knowledge of fish and amphibians, and because I had spare equipment (enclosures, food, etc.).

Once caught and brought back home, it is essential for you to separate them. They WILL fight to the death. While multiple larval salamanders can be kept in a large enough tank, the tadpoles must be put into small, separate containers. All tanks must be filled with fresh, dechlorinated water. Because they do not have any scales, any chlorine in the water will burn them alive like acid. The salamanders need a much larger tank, at least one gallon per salamander, while the tadpoles only need about a litre. 

Day-to-day care is fairly simple: feed the tadpoles frog pellets. These are commonly found in pet stores. Ask the owners about food for African dwarf frogs (the species of frog commonly kept as pets), and they’ll likely lead you to some pellets. The salamander larva requires frozen bloodworms, around 1 cube per 2 salamanders. Feed the tadpoles every day and the salamanders every 2 days. Every 3-5 days, do a 100% water change for the tadpoles and 20% water change for the salamander larvae. The larvae will require a filter in their tank, while the tadpoles do not. You will not need a heater because they are from Seattle and can survive the cold very easily.

Now the fun part! Metamorphosis! When you see the salamander start to lose its gills, make a paludarium. This should be a small tank with around 75% water and 25% land. Place the salamander gently in the water. By this point, I recommend you separate all the salamander larvae because by now they will be quite territorial. Place the bloodworms in the water while feeding them. Eventually, they will start to crawl onto land! Once you see this happening, feed them on the land. I recommend you feed them on a paper towel because it makes cleaning easier. I don’t really know how to keep a frog when it grows up because Bob hopped away as soon as he developed legs. When their forelegs are developed, put them in a paludarium similar to the one the salamanders are in. I recommend you release them when they grow up, as they are a lot harder to keep than salamanders! However, if you have kept terrestrial frogs previously, then you could definitely try it. While technically not that much harder, they have very different requirements. They should be in a tank that is mostly water with a large water bowl filled with dechlorinated water. Feed them dusted pinhead crickets, and change the water weekly. It is also important to keep the air moist for both, often by using a small humidifier and retaining it with a tight-fitting lid.

Day-to-day care for the salamander is not that much harder. They keep to themselves and like to hide, so make sure they have some hidey-holes! Gila loved to sleep under paper towels. Feed them a cube of bloodworms every 2 days. When you feed them, remove the old bloodworms and put in the new cube.

This larva season has been pretty dry, so most have developed pretty late. The most I have seen were two that were less than a half-centimeter long. We’re going to have to wait for some time before big ones start appearing, likely in 1-2 months after a big rain. I haven’t seen any tadpoles so far, so it was likely too dry for them to breed this year. However, the frogs do seem to like the weather right now, and the image is one I caught!

While we may not have much of a salamander season this year, I hope this article taught you something about salamander and frog lifespans. And if you like salamanders enough to have finished this article, keep on exploring!

FINAL DISCLAIMER: IF YOU DO NOT HAVE EXPERIENCE KEEPING AQUATIC PETS, NEWTS, SALAMANDERS, OR FROGS BEFORE, DO NOT ATTEMPT THIS AT HOME, AS THESE CAN BE DIFFICULT TO KEEP ALIVE AND REQUIRE PRIOR KNOWLEDGE. THEY SHOULD ONLY BE TAKEN FROM THE WILD FOR SCIENTIFIC PURPOSES AND NOT FOR FUN.