As with all animals, salamanders cannot thrive if they are not fed a proper diet. Most salamanders are carnivorous and feed on invertebrates, but nutrition requirements can vary from species to species. You should check to determine which diet is right for it. Generally, terrestrial salamanders can be encouraged to feed by movement. Aquatic salamanders may be stimulated by odor, touch, and movement. Try to feed your animal a wide variety of appropriate dietary items. This will not only keep it from developing an aversion to or "boredom" with the food, but it will help ensure that your salamander is getting a nutritionally balanced diet. Most salamanders will need to be fed a few times a week; however, younger salamanders may need to eat more often because they are growing.

Most salamanders will eat insects. A variety of such prey items are available for purchase, or some people collect insects from their own yards. However, this can be problematic if the insects have been exposed to pesticides, so you should be sure that you obtain these insects from a clean source. You can also keep them for a few days in your home; the poisoned ones will probably die off by this time, and remaining insects will be "gut loaded" with nutritious food. "Gut loading" means feeding the insects you intend your salamander to eat with food that will be nutritious for your salamander. That way, when it ingests the prey item, it is ingesting the nutritious food the insect has eaten as well. Many people will use flake fish food or dry dog food to gut load their insects. White worms, bloodworms, and mealworms are all available for purchase and can be fed to your animal. Many people choose to use kingworms or superworms (Zophobas sp.), rather than mealworms. This is because regular mealworms have low meat to exoskeleton ratios. Animals who eat large amounts of regular mealworms may eventually become impacted as indigestible shell material can build up in their systems. Zophobas sp. mealworms have higher meat to shell ratios, so impactions may be less common. Many species of salamander will eat earthworms. Other insects including roaches, crickets, locusts, slugs, and flies are available for purchase as well. Some salamanders eat small feeder fish like guppies or goldfish, and others may eat pinkie mice. Some people will leave small colonies of guppies in larger salamanders' enclosures if they will be unable to feed their salamanders for a short period of time, allowing the animals to have a food source when humans are not present to feed them. Pinkie mice may be purchased in large quantities if they are frozen. This tends to be quite convenient, as you will not have to keep the mice in your home, and trips to the store can be minimized. Just make sure that the food items are fully thawed before they are offered to your salamander. If possible, warm the prey item up to the temperature it would have been when it was alive.

Generally, whole prey items are the best form of nutrition for a salamander. As a special treat, some may accept pieces of lean meat, newt food, or fish food.

While many people argue that salamanders should have their food dusted in a nutrient powder, animals eating a very balanced and nutritious diet may not need this. In fact, vitamin over dosage can cause serious health problems in your animal, as can vitamin deficiencies.

Part Two - Housing	Part Four - Pro-Active Care
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