How To Feed Salamanders

Feeding a salamander may seem simple at first, but there is more to it than just dropping insects into a tank. These quiet amphibians have specific needs, and meeting them takes attention, patience, and a little understanding of how salamanders find and eat their food in the wild.

Salamanders eat live prey that moves and fits in their mouths, and they need variety in their diet to stay healthy. Most pet salamanders eat small invertebrates like worms, crickets, or slugs, and they should be fed two to four times per week, depending on their age, size, and species.

They rely on motion to spot their food, and they must be fed living prey that is small enough to swallow.

Feeding them properly also means offering the right types of food, handling the prey safely, and understanding how often to feed based on the salamander’s needs.

Why Feeding Matters

Salamanders have different ways of feeding depending on their species. Some strike fast, using their tongues or jaws to grab prey.

Others wait in stillness, blending into the background until a bug crawls by. Feeding is more than just a matter of nutrition, it affects the salamander’s behavior, energy levels, and overall health.

In the wild, salamanders eat a mix of tiny animals they find in leaf litter, soil, and water. A poor diet in captivity can lead to health problems like weight loss, weak bones, or sluggish behavior.

Feeding the right way helps salamanders live longer and stay active.

What Salamanders Eat

Most salamanders eat live prey. This includes animals without backbones, also called invertebrates. Here are some of the most common food items used for feeding pet salamanders:

• Earthworms – These are one of the healthiest foods for many species. Nightcrawlers are good choices if they are free of chemicals.
• Crickets – These are widely available in pet stores and can be dusted with calcium before feeding.
• Fruit flies – Wingless or flightless fruit flies are good for very small or young salamanders.
• Small roaches – These are sometimes used as an alternative to crickets, especially for larger salamanders.
• Waxworms and mealworms – These are high in fat and should be given only as treats.
• Isopods and springtails – These are often used for smaller forest species and can live in the enclosure as a cleanup crew.

Not all salamanders eat the same things. Aquatic species may prefer bloodworms, blackworms, or tiny aquatic insects.

Terrestrial salamanders, on the other hand, often need soft-bodied prey that moves slowly.

Live Prey Only

Salamanders almost always need food that moves. They are visual hunters and will not recognize still or dead food as something to eat. This means they usually ignore dried insects, frozen items, or plant material.

While some aquatic species may eventually accept frozen bloodworms if the water is flowing, most need prey that crawls or wiggles. Feeding dead food is usually not successful and should not be relied on.

How To Prepare Food

Feeding begins before the salamander even sees the prey. You must make sure the food is safe and healthy. This means choosing the right prey and sometimes preparing it before feeding.

Here are a few tips:

• Rinse worms or bugs in clean water if they were kept in soil or bedding.
• Dust crickets or roaches with a calcium powder before feeding. This helps prevent weak bones.
• Do not feed prey caught from outside, since it may carry pesticides or diseases.
• Do not feed insects that are too large. The prey should be no wider than the salamander’s head.

Gut-loading is another helpful step. This means feeding the prey good food before offering them to the salamander.

This can improve the nutrition the salamander receives.

How To Feed By Hand or Dish

Feeding methods vary based on the species and the type of enclosure. In some cases, food can be left in a shallow dish. In others, the salamander must be hand-fed.

For example:

• Place worms or crickets in a clean, shallow dish the salamander can easily reach.
• Use long tweezers to offer worms or bugs one at a time.
• Let fruit flies or springtails loose in the enclosure for small salamanders to hunt.

Feeding with tweezers can help monitor how much each salamander eats. This is especially useful in groups or with shy animals that feed at night.

Avoid feeding directly by hand. Salamanders can bite, and your hands may carry oils or soap that harm their sensitive skin.

How Often To Feed

Feeding frequency depends on the salamander’s age, size, and species. As a rule of thumb:

• Young salamanders may need to eat daily or every other day.
• Adult salamanders often do well with feeding two or three times a week.
• Aquatic species tend to eat more often than terrestrial ones.

Some salamanders are seasonal eaters and may eat less in winter or during dry periods. Others may stop feeding during stress or shedding. These changes are usually temporary, but long periods without food should be checked by a vet.

Keep track of feeding days and how much the salamander eats. A chart or notebook can help spot problems early.

What To Watch For

Feeding is a good way to observe a salamander’s health. A healthy salamander shows interest in food, moves toward prey, and eats quickly. A sick or stressed animal may ignore food or move slowly.

Signs of a feeding problem may include:

• Refusal to eat for more than a week (in adults)
• Swollen body or signs of weight loss
• Prey left uneaten or buried in the tank
• Difficulty swallowing or spitting food out

If a salamander stops eating for several feedings in a row, or if it seems weak or bloated, it may need help.

Poor temperatures, dirty water, or improper humidity can cause feeding problems, as can parasites or illness.

Feeding in Groups

Some salamanders live alone, while others can be kept in groups. If more than one salamander is in the same tank, feeding becomes more complex.

Try to:

• Feed each salamander separately using tweezers.
• Watch for aggression or bullying over food.
• Make sure each salamander gets enough to eat.

Uneven feeding in groups can lead to one salamander growing faster and dominating the others. Over time, this may cause injury or death if not addressed.

Feeding Aquatic Salamanders

Aquatic salamanders, like axolotls or sirens, have different feeding habits. They often eat underwater and may suck food in rather than grab it.

They may eat:

• Bloodworms (frozen or live)
• Blackworms
• Brine shrimp
• Soft sinking pellets (for aquatic salamanders only)

These animals can often be fed with tweezers or by placing food in a dish on the tank floor.

Feeding should be done slowly to avoid mess, and uneaten food should be removed to keep the water clean.

Feeding During Shedding or Stress

Salamanders sometimes stop eating while shedding their skin. This is normal. Shedding may last a day or two, and the salamander may eat the old skin afterward.

Stress from moving, loud noises, or improper tank conditions can also cause a salamander to stop eating. In these cases, check the environment:

• Is the temperature in the right range?
• Is the humidity or water quality acceptable?
• Is the salamander being disturbed too often?

Correcting these problems often restores appetite in a few days.

Foods To Avoid

Not all bugs are safe for salamanders. Some can be harmful or carry toxins. Avoid feeding:

• Fireflies or lightning bugs
• Bugs caught near roads or lawns
• Large, hard-shelled beetles
• Mealworms as a staple (too much fat and chitin)
• Mice, meat, or pet food

Salamanders do not need vitamins in pill form and should not be given people food. Their bodies are adapted for small prey and can not digest large, fatty, or dry foods properly.

Conclusion

Feeding salamanders is not difficult, but it takes care and consistency. By offering a varied diet of live, clean invertebrates and paying attention to feeding behavior, keepers can help salamanders stay healthy and active.

Feeding is more than just placing food in a tank, it is a way of learning how these animals live, hunt, and survive. With the right care, salamanders can thrive in a home setting, just as they do in the wild.