In order to create the most comfortable environment possible for your salamander, you should first determine what sort of habitat your animal is native to in the wild. Then, you should try to reconstruct this habitat as closely as possible. Most often this can be accomplished in a plastic or glass tank, as these are water impermeable. They are also fairly easy to clean, and your animal will be easily visible. Some people prefer to use wooden enclosures. These can be treated with a waterproofing sealant such as fiberglass resin in order to make them suitable for your salamander. Be sure to allow the sealed wood to sit until the sealant has completely dried and all fumes have evaporated before you try to put anything in the enclosure. Also, you should ensure that there are no splinters or rough patches on the wood that could harm your animal. Because salamanders can climb, aided with fluids or mucous secreted from their bodies, you should have a fitted lid for your enclosure. Salamanders often need such high levels of humidity, so a screen or mesh top may not be a good idea. Many people prefer to use a plastic lid with holes drilled into it. Usually quarter inch holes are used. This size should prevent the salamander from slipping through but can allow an adequate amount of ventilation. Other people choose to slightly elevate the lid of the enclosure - again, just enough so the animal cannot slip through. In aquatic tanks, you may wish to use a bubbler to oxygenate the water. Aquatic salamanders should usually be introduced into established enclosures. This means that the tank has been set up and running for at least a few days before your salamander arrives, so the water is at an appropriate temperature, and the oxygen, chemical, or nutrient balances in the water are correct.

Salamanders do not generally need a specific spectrum of light. Any sort of lighting you choose to use may work well. However, many types of salamanders are nocturnal, so it is often helpful to allow them only indirect lighting during the day or to provide them with a shady hiding spot. This will prevent the animal from becoming stressed by too much light. You should also create a consistent day length suitable for your salamander by turning off the light after a certain period of time. This can be done with a timer that will turn the lights on and off at pre-set times. There are some timers available that will vary the photoperiod daily, creating a seasonal light with shorter days in winter and longer days in summer. If you plan to keep plants in your salamander's enclosure, you may wish to get a full spectrum light to benefit the vegetation.

Because salamanders are cold blooded and cannot produce their own heat, their temperature will essentially match that of their surroundings. Many species of salamanders will have different temperature requirements, depending on what sort of climate they are native to. Salamanders from more temperate climates may not require any additional form of heating; they can often do well at the temperature of your house. However, in colder climates they may require some heat from time to time. Some salamanders such as Hellbenders require cold water. Salamanders from more tropical areas will often need their enclosures to be heated. This can be done in several ways. Heat lamps are one way, although they may not be used at night if they produce white light. Another form of heater is a heat pad or heat tape that will go underneath the salamander's enclosure. Over cage ceramic heating elements are also available, and many people prefer these as a heat source. You may also place a submersible heater in a jar full of water and place this into a terrestrial or semi-terrestrial environment. Although some people choose to use hot rocks, they have been known to cause serious burns and even death to some animals, and most experienced salamander keepers will never use them. Whatever form of heat you decide to use, you should try to create a temperature gradient. A simple way to do this is to heat only one side of the enclosure. That way, if your salamander is too hot, it can move to the other, cooler side of the enclosure. Most experienced salamander keepers have a thermometer in their animal's enclosure to ensure that it has a healthy level of heat. One thermometer in each end of the enclosure may be appropriate. In aquatic tanks, submersible water heaters may be used. However, you should try to make sure that there is no way for your animal to come in contact with the heater itself. In nature, nighttime is usually accompanied by a temperature drop. If you do not simulate this in captivity, your animal may become stressed, so it is advisable to let the enclosure cool by about ten degrees Fahrenheit at night. While some salamanders need heat, others will need cool. These salamanders may do well when kept in air-conditioned rooms during the summer without a cage heater. Again, you will have to know your salamander's requirements and keeping a thermometer in the enclosure will greatly aid you in meeting its needs.

Most salamanders, even terrestrial species, will require a high humidity. Generally this level is 50 percent or more. This is because salamanders have highly specialized skin that allows the animal to stay hydrated and to extract oxygen from the water. These animals absorb water through their skins rather than drinking it. Humidity may be increased and maintained in several ways. One way is to keep a bowl of water in the enclosure, although some people prefer to have a wet area of substrate rather than standing water. You should be sure, if you use a bowl of water with terrestrial species, that the salamander can easily climb out. One suggestion is to place smooth pebbles or marbles in the bowl to help it climb out. The items in the bowls should be large enough that your animal cannot swallow them. In half and half enclosures, a body of water will be present. You should try to create some sort of slope to be sure that your animal can easily get into or out of the water. Many people will pile up gravel or use a plank or sloping rock in order to do this. Plants may also be used in the enclosure in order to help maintain humidity. These will allow shade to your animals in addition to collecting water droplets on their leaves. You may want to mist the enclosure several times a day as well. Using distilled water will prevent water spots from forming on the walls of the enclosure. Do not offer your animal distilled water in drinking bowls or artificial ponds. Commercial products are also available that will constantly emit a fine water mist. These can be left in the enclosure and many come in attractive shapes and forms. Humidified hiding areas can be created as well, by placing a damp substrate like peat or sphagnum moss inside a hut or hide box. The covering will help trap the humidity inside the hiding area. If you would like to be absolutely certain that your salamander has the proper humidity level, humidity gauges are available for purchase and may be quite helpful. For aquatic tanks, the chemical and nitrogen content of the water may be an important consideration in keeping your salamander healthy. Products are available that will start a nitrogen cycle in a new tank by introducing beneficial bacteria to the enclosure. Many people will age tap water for use in these tanks to remove chlorine. This is done by allowing the water to sit for a few days in a clean bucket, with or without aeration. Other people recommend using a dechlorinating liquid in the water. You may wish to keep a water testing kit on hand if your animal has special requirements, especially concerning the pH of its water.

A variety of substrates may be used inside your salamander's enclosure and these can also serve to keep the humidity up. You should choose ones that your salamander cannot easily ingest. For aquatic tanks, some people will use clean, smooth river rocks of a size their salamanders cannot ingest. For semi-terrestrial enclosures, many people will use smooth rocks in the water side and 'Astroturf' or indoor/outdoor carpeting on the terrestrial side. Plastic or outdoor carpeting are also very convenient. They are easy to clean, and if you have several pieces, you can use one while you clean the others. In terrestrial enclosures, peat moss, wood chips, or a combination of natural materials may work very well. Although newspaper or paper towels are fairly cheap and easy to clean, they may not be good choices for amphibians. Due to the constantly wet or humid nature of the enclosure, such materials may quickly become soggy or smelly. Although many people choose to use sand or soil, these can cause digestive impactions in your amphibian if it accidentally ingests too much. Even substrates that are supposed to be digestible can cause impactions. An alternative to sand or soil may be wood chips. These are decorative and rather attractive and are not ingestible. You should never use cedar, pine, or redwood, as these may secrete toxic oils that can harm your animal. Wood chips are also advantageous in terrestrial environments because they will help to trap and hold humidity. Some salamanders have such sensitive skins that rough materials on the floor of the enclosure may need to be covered with a thin layer of moss.

Most salamanders will appreciate a hiding area in their enclosures. This can be created with leafy plants or with as simple an item as a cardboard box. This will provide it with a place to feel secure. Even aquatic salamanders will probably appreciate a floating plant that they can hide under. Many people like to place one hide box in each end of the enclosure. That way, the animal can thermoregulate without having to remain in the open.

Because amphibians have very sensitive skins, you should try to be extra careful to remove all chemical residue from the enclosure after cleaning. Your salamander's enclosure will have to be cleaned regularly, to prevent bacterial and fungal infections to your animal as well as other health problems or stress arising from a dirty cage. There are two types of cleaners available for your use: mechanical and disinfectants. Mechanical cleaners will aid you in removing physical dirt, while disinfectants will assist in killing germs in the enclosure. It is usually fairly important to use both: first the mechanical cleaner and second the disinfectant. Again, be sure that all residue of the cleaners has been thoroughly rinsed from the enclosure and any other cleaned items before replacing your animal in the enclosure. Many experienced salamander keepers choose to use boiling water for cleaning rather than using a chemical substance. You should avoid many commercial household cleaners, as these may often contain ingredients that are toxic to salamanders. For aquatic tanks, water filters may aid in keeping the tank clean. However, this is not to say that you will never have to clean these tanks. You may need to clean the tank less often, but it should be done on a regular basis. If you are using a filter, you may wish to feed your salamander in a separate enclosure, as this can help prevent the filter from becoming clogged with food. If you are using a filter, you may wish to construct a sort of screen or wall between the salamander and the filter so that its body parts are not sucked into the filter.

Generally it is best to keep salamanders of the same species together if you plan on having more than one salamander in each enclosure. Because salamanders may secrete toxic fluids, different species can actually be poisonous to one another. Also, salamanders may eat other salamanders, so cage mates should be roughly similar in size. Although some people choose to keep their aquatic salamanders with fish or aquatic frogs, this may cause the animals to be more susceptible to disease, and it may be difficult to keep them from eating the fish.

Most species of salamander may not physically be able to hibernate. Rather, salamanders may aestivate in the wild, burying themselves under insulating mud during dry or cold periods. Replicating conditions under which salamanders would aestivate is generally not necessary in captivity.

Part One - Introduction	Part Three - Diet
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