# Basin's Amphibians



## basin79 (Apr 19, 2018)



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## cold blood (Apr 19, 2018)

Salamanders are just too cool...I've always loved them...one of my favorite animals that doesn't have fins and gills.

Reactions: Like 2 | Agree 3


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## basin79 (Apr 19, 2018)

cold blood said:


> Salamanders are just too cool...I've always loved them...one of my favorite animals that doesn't have fins and gills.


Gills as youngsters so you're in familiar territory. 

Been after one of these magnificent amphibians for a while. So very happy to finally have one.

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## cold blood (Apr 19, 2018)

I had one of these back in grade school.....caught it dried up in a gutter on deaths door..._maybe_ 4-5" at the time...when I released it 5 or 6 years later, it was absolutely gigantic...pushing 18" if I recall correctly......incredible appetites.

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## basin79 (Apr 19, 2018)

cold blood said:


> I had one of these back in grade school.....caught it dried up in a gutter on deaths door..._maybe_ 4-5" at the time...when I released it 5 or 6 years later, it was absolutely gigantic...pushing 18" if I recall correctly......incredible appetites.


I reckon the fisherman in you is quoting 18". Honestly it was 

<------------- this -------------> big.

They do regularly get 12" though and very occasionally over 13". Really good of you to save the little one.

Reactions: Agree 1 | Funny 2 | Face Palm 1


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## cold blood (Apr 19, 2018)

basin79 said:


> I reckon the fisherman in you is quoting 18". Honestly it was
> 
> <------------- this -------------> big.
> 
> They do regularly get 12" though and very occasionally over 13". Really good of you to save the little one.


Bad fishermen exaggerate

If anything I'm under-optimistic on my size estimates.  I fish tournaments...so all my big fish get weighed on a certified scale.

But yeah, that thing was huge, I know it was bigger than 12", because at the time I believed that was their max size...I used always tell people  that they weren't supposed to get that big.

Used to feed it shrimp in the winter, but it would eat literally anything, any time.   Used to grab crayfish in the water and shake them against the glass to break them...it was quite a sight to see.   It would regularly eat the fish I had in the water, too.   Mine had a lot of water access, and actually spent a significant amount of time in the water.

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## basin79 (Apr 19, 2018)

cold blood said:


> Bad fishermen exaggerate
> 
> If anything I'm under-optimistic on my size estimates.  I fish tournaments...so all my big fish get weighed on a certified scale.
> 
> ...


I'm only acting daft. 

This set up is only very temporary. Hopefully I'll be able to put her (thinking female) into her proper enclosure tomorrow that will be much larger.

Reactions: Love 1


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## Venom1080 (Apr 19, 2018)

What's the care like for these? 

Really cool addition. Some of my favorite childhood memories were catching little salamanders in a creek.


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## basin79 (Apr 19, 2018)

Venom1080 said:


> What's the care like for these?
> 
> Really cool addition. Some of my favorite childhood memories were catching little salamanders in a creek.


From what I've read very easy. Room temperature, damp deep substrate, some hiding places and a large water dish. Treated or spring water in the sub and water dish. 

Supposedly the hardest part of keeping them is not over feeding them. Many can't resist that face.

Reactions: Agree 2 | Informative 1


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## Crone Returns (Apr 19, 2018)

cold blood said:


> I had one of these back in grade school.....caught it dried up in a gutter on deaths door..._maybe_ 4-5" at the time...when I released it 5 or 6 years later, it was absolutely gigantic...pushing 18" if I recall correctly......incredible appetites.


I can't believe the size. That's incredible.  Do you have a pic of him?


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## cold blood (Apr 19, 2018)

crone said:


> I can't believe the size. That's incredible.  Do you have a pic of him?


Naw, this was back in the late 80's, released in 1990 when I left for college.


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## schmiggle (Apr 20, 2018)

Tiger salamanders definitely don't reach 18". Wikipedia says 14", but I feel like even that's pushing it. But I've definitely seen a video of a neotenic (or maybe just old juvenile?) individual that was 13", so maybe 14" is possible.

@basin79 that's a beautiful individual you've got there.

Reactions: Agree 1


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## basin79 (Apr 20, 2018)

So I reckon my Tiger is female. So here's Stheno. 


































So mad her eyes aren't in focus as this would have been a great pic.

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## Jurdon (Apr 20, 2018)

Ah, I love tigers! She’s beautiful.I had a suspect male named Reinhardt not too long ago, he was awesome.

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## basin79 (Apr 20, 2018)

Just in case the video isn't watched. As promised Stheno has been rehoused into a suitably sized enclosure now.

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## Crone Returns (Apr 20, 2018)

cold blood said:


> Naw, this was back in the late 80's, released in 1990 when I left for college.


That's too bad. It would be cool to look at.

Reactions: Agree 1


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## PidderPeets (Apr 21, 2018)

I literally screamed a little after reading the title because I was so excited! I love tiger salamanders so much!  We supposedly have wild ones in my area, but I've never seen one. One of my old dogs unfortunately killed one though. My dad actually thought the dog was playing with a toy until he got up close, but by then the salamander was already dead.  I've seen plenty of spotted salamanders around though. But they aren't as big as the tigers are.

Congrats on your new pet! I'll join the party and get one some day

Reactions: Sad 1


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## basin79 (Apr 21, 2018)

PidderPeets said:


> I literally screamed a little after reading the title because I was so excited! I love tiger salamanders so much!  We supposedly have wild ones in my area, but I've never seen one. One of my old dogs unfortunately killed one though. My dad actually thought the dog was playing with a toy until he got up close, but by then the salamander was already dead.  I've seen plenty of spotted salamanders around though. But they aren't as big as the tigers are.
> 
> Congrats on your new pet! I'll join the party and get one some day


Poor bugger. Hope it was a quick death. 

They're fantastic little rascals aren't they? I'm leaving Stheno alone now for a few days to settle in. I'll just change her water.


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## Andrea82 (Apr 21, 2018)

Ever since I started with axolotl I've been eyeing other salamanders as well. They come in all shapes and sizes!
Very pretty girl you have there! That smiling face is just begging to be stuffed with a nice big worm,

Reactions: Funny 2


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## basin79 (Apr 21, 2018)

Andrea82 said:


> Ever since I started with axolotl I've been eyeing other salamanders as well. They come in all shapes and sizes!
> Very pretty girl you have there! That smiling face is just begging to be stuffed with a nice big worm,


I need to buy some large earthworms for her to snaffle.

Reactions: Agree 3


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## PidderPeets (Apr 21, 2018)

basin79 said:


> Poor bugger. Hope it was a quick death.
> 
> They're fantastic little rascals aren't they? I'm leaving Stheno alone now for a few days to settle in. I'll just change her water.


I hope so too. One thing that gives me a little bit of hope is that my dog was never a big digger, so this makes me wonder if maybe the salamander was already dead and out of it's burrow. This was many years ago though, so I never got to look at it for myself.

Reactions: Optimistic 1


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## basin79 (Apr 21, 2018)

PidderPeets said:


> I hope so too. One thing that gives me a little bit of hope is that my dog was never a big digger, so this makes me wonder if maybe the salamander was already dead and out of it's burrow. This was many years ago though, so I never got to look at it for myself.


That'd be nice if that's the case.


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## PidderPeets (Apr 21, 2018)

basin79 said:


> That'd be nice if that's the case.


It wouldn't surprise me. He was more of a barker than a killer. All we'd have to do is say the words "bird" or "squirrel" and he'd be at the door in a heartbeat barking loud enough to wake the neighborhood.  He even chased/barked a bear up a tree in his older years.

Thankfully with a captive one, you should have it set up so it's safe from meddlesome puppies. Although Typhon is so massive I wouldn't be surprised if he's evolved to learn basic human technology at this point. 

But back on point, I wish you the best of luck with Stheno. She's so pretty!

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## basin79 (Apr 21, 2018)

PidderPeets said:


> It wouldn't surprise me. He was more of a barker than a killer. All we'd have to do is say the words "bird" or "squirrel" and he'd be at the door in a heartbeat barking loud enough to wake the neighborhood.  He even chased/barked a bear up a tree in his older years.
> 
> Thankfully with a captive one, you should have it set up so it's safe from meddlesome puppies. Although Typhon is so massive I wouldn't be surprised if he's evolved to learn basic human technology at this point.
> 
> But back on point, I wish you the best of luck with Stheno. She's so pretty!


Thank you very much.


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## basin79 (Apr 25, 2018)

Fed Stheno and an update on her enclosure.








For those that won't watch the video here's her improved enclosure.

Reactions: Like 1 | Funny 2


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## Andrea82 (Apr 25, 2018)

basin79 said:


> Fed Stheno and an update on her enclosure.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


You may want to cut that worm in half next time, it's a bit much to take in 
Amazing what they can stow away though. Axolotl are just as greedy, I'm looking at them like, 'maybe this worm is a bit too....oh. nevermind'

Reactions: Funny 3


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## basin79 (Apr 25, 2018)

Andrea82 said:


> You may want to cut that worm in half next time, it's a bit much to take in
> Amazing what they can stow away though. Axolotl are just as greedy, I'm looking at them like, 'maybe this worm is a bit too....oh. nevermind'


Axolotl are salamanders that haven't left the water so I'm not surprised.

Reactions: Agree 1


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## basin79 (Apr 27, 2018)



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## Crone Returns (Apr 27, 2018)

basin79 said:


>


LMAO!!

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## basin79 (Apr 29, 2018)




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## ShyDragoness (Apr 29, 2018)

shes absolutely stunning! Wow what a little beast

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## basin79 (Apr 29, 2018)

ShyDragoness said:


> shes absolutely stunning! Wow what a little beast


Aye aye meat pie. She's stunning.

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## basin79 (May 1, 2018)



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## Galapoheros (May 2, 2018)

That was a hellbender cold blood found!  I had a axolotl that was 12", I wouldn't be real surprised to see a 13"er but over that, prob not.  Yeah salamanders rock, so weird, "Whaaa?!, that's more related to a frog than a lizard?! ....get out!"  I've never found one in the wild.  I found the Smallmouth, sirens, the Slimy, some newts but the Tigers just weren't around where I lived, the range maps says they were there but I had no luck.  Basin, do you know the locality info on yours?  They are bigger, smaller, yellow, barred, etc., depends on the locality.

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## basin79 (May 2, 2018)

Galapoheros said:


> That was a hellbender cold blood found!  I had a axolotl that was 12", I wouldn't be real surprised to see a 13"er but over that, prob not.  Yeah salamanders rock, so weird, "Whaaa?!, that's more related to a frog than a lizard?! ....get out!"  I've never found one in the wild.  I found the Smallmouth, sirens, the Slimy, some newts but the Tigers just weren't around where I lived, the range maps says they were there but I had no luck.  Basin, do you know the locality info on yours?  They are bigger, smaller, yellow, barred, etc., depends on the locality.


I'm unsure on the origins on mine.


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## basin79 (May 5, 2018)




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## basin79 (May 8, 2018)




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## basin79 (May 13, 2018)



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## basin79 (May 18, 2018)




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## NukaMedia Exotics (May 18, 2018)

That's a really cool looking salamander, enjoy the new pet. I still don't have any type of reptile/amphibian but I want some in the future...

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## basin79 (May 18, 2018)

Mvtt70 said:


> That's a really cool looking salamander, enjoy the new pet. I still don't have any type of reptile/amphibian but I want some in the future...


She's absolutely fantastic. I was just feeding my Rhombodera basalis and she came up to the corner of her enclosure wanting to be fed.


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## basin79 (May 22, 2018)




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## basin79 (May 27, 2018)




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## AnimalNewbie (May 27, 2018)

He/she is beautiful!!!
If only they were legal in California....

Reactions: Like 1


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## basin79 (May 27, 2018)

AnimalNewbie said:


> He/she is beautiful!!!
> If only they were legal in California....


Aye. Stheno is absolutely bloody fantastic.


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## Dennis Nedry (Jun 1, 2018)

cold blood said:


> I had one of these back in grade school.....caught it dried up in a gutter on deaths door..._maybe_ 4-5" at the time...when I released it 5 or 6 years later, it was absolutely gigantic...pushing 18" if I recall correctly......incredible appetites.


Maybe a traditional Chinese medicine shop lost one of their Chinese giant salamanders and it happened to end up in a drain

In all seriousness though 18" sounds absolutely massive for a tiger salamander, amphibians are capable of growing very large given the right amount of food and space, well above the usual size range of their species so who knows


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## basin79 (Jun 3, 2018)




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## basin79 (Jun 8, 2018)




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## Dennis Nedry (Jun 14, 2018)

Watching your vids is like looking back in time.

I'm just gonna leave this here. excuse the inaccurate title, I think whoever runs BBC's YouTube channel can't tell the difference beyween a giant amphibian and a crocodile

Reactions: Like 2


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## basin79 (Jun 14, 2018)

Dennis Nedry said:


> Watching your vids is like looking back in time.
> 
> I'm just gonna leave this here. excuse the inaccurate title, I think whoever runs BBC's YouTube channel can't tell the difference beyween a giant amphibian and a crocodile


Its funny as watching Stheno walk from above reminds me of a crocodile.


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## basin79 (Jun 14, 2018)



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## viper69 (Jun 16, 2018)

Nice pics. I've never caught or saw a Tiger in the wild unfortunately. I have caught and released a Spotted Salamander, it was gorgeous!

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## basin79 (Jun 19, 2018)



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## basin79 (Jun 27, 2018)




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## basin79 (Jul 8, 2018)




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## basin79 (Jul 18, 2018)




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## basin79 (Jul 29, 2018)




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## basin79 (Aug 15, 2018)




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## basin79 (Aug 30, 2018)



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## Crone Returns (Aug 30, 2018)

basin79 said:


>


Love the way she bashes the worm against the wall of her tub lol!

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## Esherman81 (Sep 14, 2018)

My son has one and he is like 8 years old ...He will eat anything out of my sons hands lol

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## AmphibianAddict (Sep 15, 2018)

basin79 said:


>


If you’re gonna get anymore salamander species in the future you should get spotted salamanders!! They’re amazing pets and they’re the best little dirt monsters ever!
(Here’s mine)

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## basin79 (Sep 15, 2018)

AmphibianAddict said:


> If you’re gonna get anymore salamander species in the future you should get spotted salamanders!! They’re amazing pets and they’re the best little dirt monsters ever!
> (Here’s mine)


Thanks but I'll just stick with tigers I think.


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## AmphibianAddict (Sep 15, 2018)

basin79 said:


> Thanks but I'll just stick with tigers I think.


Where did you get yours?


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## basin79 (Sep 15, 2018)

AmphibianAddict said:


> Where did you get yours?


From an online pet shop.


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## AmphibianAddict (Sep 15, 2018)

basin79 said:


> From an online pet shop.


Where?? I’d be fine with getting one of these big boys!


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## basin79 (Sep 15, 2018)

AmphibianAddict said:


> Where?? I’d be fine with getting one of these big boys!


I'm in the UK.


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## AmphibianAddict (Sep 15, 2018)

basin79 said:


> I'm in the UK.


Ooh darn


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## basin79 (Sep 20, 2018)




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## basin79 (Sep 23, 2018)

Just picked this absolutely beautiful lass up.

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## Jurdon (Sep 23, 2018)

Ooh, she’s a cutie! I did some research on these guys for a school presentation not too long ago, awesome animals.

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## basin79 (Sep 24, 2018)




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## antinous (Sep 24, 2018)

Nice addition, never noticed cool they actually looked! Never knew people really kept them as pets since they're thought of as pretty big pests. But then again, people keep Burmese pythons and they're considered a pest in Florida....anyways, have fun with the little guy!

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## basin79 (Sep 24, 2018)

Phormic28 said:


> Nice addition, never noticed cool they actually looked! Never knew people really kept them as pets since they're thought of as pretty big pests. But then again, people keep Burmese pythons and they're considered a pest in Florida....anyways, have fun with the little guy!


Sadly due to "good ole humans" quite a few animals have been transported to where they should never have been and unfortunately it's both the native wildlife and the invasive animals that suffer because of it.

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## schmiggle (Sep 25, 2018)

Sooooo cute! I love the way she catches all those things without leaving where she is sitting

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## basin79 (Sep 26, 2018)




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## antinous (Sep 26, 2018)

Nice looking sally! I spent a few years researching their cousins (spotted and marble salamanders), but I've always been more interested in tiger salamanders. This thread makes me want to go get one right now haha

Reactions: Like 1


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## basin79 (Sep 26, 2018)

Phormic28 said:


> Nice looking sally! I spent a few years researching their cousins (spotted and marble salamanders), but I've always been more interested in tiger salamanders. This thread makes me want to go get one right now haha


Stheno is absolutely. She's so comical and will come out if I'm in the room and she's hungry to get my attention.


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## basin79 (Oct 2, 2018)




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## Galapoheros (Oct 2, 2018)

If you ever have trouble with your amphs throwing up earthworms, it might be because some of them have bristles that help them move through holes.  You can feel those especially on nightcrawlers if you hold them kind of tight and they try to crawl.  I've had amphs throw them up before, I think the bristles can be irritating to their gut when they are trying to crawl around in there.  I'm gonna get me some tigers again some day.  btw found a good pic of earthworm bristles. 
https://www.flickr.com/photos/johnhallmen/12948634595

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## basin79 (Oct 3, 2018)

Galapoheros said:


> If you ever have trouble with your amphs throwing up earthworms, it might be because some of them have bristles that help them move through holes.  You can feel those especially on nightcrawlers if you hold them kind of tight and they try to crawl.  I've had amphs throw them up before, I think the bristles can be irritating to their gut when they are trying to crawl around in there.  I'm gonna get me some tigers again some day.  btw found a good pic of earthworm bristles.
> https://www.flickr.com/photos/johnhallmen/12948634595


You can feel the bristles easily when you handle the worms. Stheno has been on them for months and never had any issues. Can't see Euryale having either but appreciate the heads up.


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## basin79 (Oct 4, 2018)




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## basin79 (Oct 18, 2018)

Got some pics of Stheno.

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## basin79 (Oct 21, 2018)




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## basin79 (Dec 1, 2018)



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## basin79 (Dec 11, 2018)




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## basin79 (Dec 21, 2018)

I wanted to get a "natural" pic of Stheno. Ideally I wanted to catch her walking out from under her plants. No chance. 




























The Ring


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## basin79 (Jan 16, 2019)




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## basin79 (Mar 8, 2019)



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## basin79 (May 27, 2019)



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## basin79 (Jul 22, 2019)



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## basin79 (Sep 14, 2019)



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## basin79 (Apr 13, 2020)



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## basin79 (Jul 23, 2020)

Meet Pennywise. A Brazilian horned frog - Ceratophrys aurita.

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