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Spotted Salamander
Ambystoma maculatum
A glossy black burrower dusted with yellow spots — reclusive, prehistoric-looking, and surprisingly hardy in a cool woodland vivarium.
6–9 in20+ years
Habitat
Enclosure
20 gal long · deep substrate
Temperature
60–72°F
Humidity / Water
70–80% · deep moist substrate
Heating & lighting
Cool 60-72°F, deeply moist substrate with leaf litter and a burrow-friendly cork hide. They are mole salamanders — diggers that surface at night in damp weather.
Diet
Feed these
- Earthworms
- Crickets
- Nightcrawlers
- Soft-bodied caterpillars
Never feed
- Handling — absorbent skin
- Hot tanks above 74°F
- Substrate that dries out
Feed 2x weekly at night with tongs. Secretive underground celebrities — spotting them surface on a rainy night is the whole reward.
Cohabitation
Can live with
Other spotted salamanders — same size
Never house with
Tropical frogs Fire-bellied toads — toxin clash Anoles and small lizards — salamanders eat them
A pair of same-size spotted salamanders does fine; they meet only briefly underground in the wild.
