they are completely harmless to people and plants most don’t grow beyond 6 inches they are smooth-skinned they live in moist places like under rocks, logs, and in mulch. healthy salamanders will be skittish around humans. [5] X Research source
24 ft. of 18 inch wide aluminum window screening or 15 ft. of 28 inch wide screening for the cylinders 15 ft. of 36 inch wide fiberglass screening for the funnels 25 ft. of string or small rope for the handles Utility knife and scissors for cutting the screen and rope Stapler with 1000 staples A small fish net if you want to catch or other container, such as a jar with some water in it. Make sure it has holes in the lid so the salamander can breathe. A glow stick or outdoor light bulb, which studies have shown can be an effective bait for trapping amphibians. [6] X Research source
Cut a rectangular piece of aluminum window screening using the scissors or utility knife for the cylinders. Roll the cut piece of screening into a cylinder 18” long and 8” in diameter. Leave a 1” lip on the top of the cylinder by holding the 18” end and rolling it towards the other end. Staple the 1” screening lip along the base of the lip where it meets the cylinder screening to hold the cylinder and lip together. Cut out two funnels from the fiberglass screening with a 9” opening on the wide end, and 1 ¾” opening on the narrow end of each piece. Roll the wide ends of the funnels over the outside edges of the cylinder and staple every ½” with the stapler. Attach a 30” string handle to the lip and attach it with duct tape to both ends of the 1” aluminum lip.
Find a stagnant, or non-flowing, water source like a swamp, pond, or vernal pool. [9] X Research source Place the trap near the bottom of a pond in the winter. [10] X Research source Put the trap by burrows and wooded areas in the late spring and early summer. Make sure these are close to stagnant bodies of water as well. [11] X Research source
Take a plastic bag or jar with pinholes or a bucket of water to catch and transfer your salamander to its new habitat.
Wear a pair of waders or tall water proof pants so you can walk out into water. Sweep the net through the water by holding the net from the handle. Run the net, hoop first, through the water down-angled into the muck at the bottom of the pond or stream.
Plump but not bloated No visible bones in the rib, abdominal, or hip area Clear skin with no cuts, scratches, or discolored patches Clear and alert eyes No secretions or inflammation. [14] X Research source
Be aware that fungal infections are very common in salamanders and often fatal. [16] X Research source Keep quarantined animals in buckets or, ideally, in separate aquariums. [17] X Research source
Wash your hands in hot and soapy water before handing the salamander. [19] X Research source Make sure to remove any soap residue from your skin so you don’t harm your salamander. [20] X Research source Transferring or touching your salamander with a small net is the best way to not harm it. [21] X Research source
a clean aquarium large enough to accommodate all of your salamanders two to three inches of sloped and washed aquarium gravel to line the tank plants that have been washed so they don’t introduce diseases or fungi to the salamanders a sufficient source of sunlight a water filter a lid. [23] X Research source
earthworms or wax worms slugs snails crickets frozen brine Mysis shrimp fish crayfish mice shrews[26] X Research source spiders centipedes. [27] X Research source
Place a water filter in the aquarium to keep the water clean between more thorough disinfection. [30] X Research source Disinfect the aquarium with hot, soapy water every couple of weeks or more often if you notice it is dirty. Transfer the salamanders to holding tanks while you’re cleaning. Make sure to rinse the aquarium thoroughly so any residue doesn’t harm your salamander. [31] X Research source
Be aware that many salamanders go through egg, large, juvenile, and adult life stages. [34] X Research source Some species, however, will hatch directly into small salamanders. [35] X Research source Capture eggs or larva in a small net and release them into the wild if you don’t want to keep the babies.
