# Fire Salamander - Common Diseases?



## Gecko_Jay (Apr 10, 2009)

Hey guys and girls!

I could do with some help please, I am doing some research on fire salamanders and need to know a few common diseases whether they be stress related or environmental etc... well you get the picture!lol!

if you also have any useful links could you post them!

Thank you in advance


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## ipreferaflan (Oct 8, 2009)

BenW on here knows his stuff!
There's a sticky about a fire salamander database at the top of this forum.
He'll sort you out.


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## Ben W (Nov 18, 2008)

Fire salas are generally very disease resistant, anything they do get can usually be put down to poor hygiene or to high a temperature.
Wild caught animals can harbour worms, but there are, in theory, more captive bred s than w/c.
They can of course suffer from damage by crickets, black in particular, if they dont eaten, and toes can get chewed, these usually grow back.Young sals can be put easily ar risk if not careful.
Some salamandra come from high limestone areas, and these need added calcium in the diet, examples are gigliolli and longirostris.
Another disorder they can get is due to fungus/bacteria in the skin, i think, caused by the salamander not being able to rub off its skin, and the bacteria getting under it, the yellow spots go black and the body looks slimy. Mild salt baths get the old skin off and healing can begin.
Elevated temps causes distress which in particular causes death in newly terrestrial young.

hope thats enough to start you off


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## akwawa (Apr 8, 2010)

*Sick salamander*

We just got a salamander a few days ago, and today after I changed the water, I found that the tip of its tail is falling off and on the underside of its body from the tail is red, about 2 inches long, and the skin along it looks frayed.

It's not a fire salamander, it's just a common spotted salamander some guy was selling in the shopping mall. We've only had it for about 5 days, fed it a couple of times, today was the first time we changed the water. My kids have been handling it a lot however for the past 2 days I did not let them. What could it be? It looks nasty. He also shed a lot of mucus-like skin on the 2nd and 3rd day we had it. 

Help please, my kids will be heart-broken when I tell them it's sick.


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