New tiger salamander help?

Only time will tell. It could just be the stress from shipping? I found a wild one last year that would leap for food when I opened the tank after one day captive. I assume you have it housed how it should be since you had one before. What are you feeding? Try a worm and leave him be for a bit. They are awesome. I can't wait to look for some outside soon. Michigan is a great place to find them in odd places. Good luck!

Crickets are okay...and easy. But not as nutritional and can bite the sal if not eaten quickly. Crickets also have parts that don't digest. Sure, in the wild tigers eat any bug they catch. But they also have huge variety in the wild. They LOVE worms. And they will get a big one down, too. If eventually using crickets..on occasion...I would try to fed them from tongs so they don't get to live in the habitat. I would also remove wings and hind legs. Even the head if you can stomach it.

I guess that really depends on where it is being kept and what it's being kept in. They are mole salamanders so they like light even less than others. What's the enclosure and substrate? If you really want to get technical... They like to burrow. They need to be cool and moist. Ans a quiet area will help reduce stress as well.

That sounds pretty good. The thicker the substrate, the better. That gets tricky because it spoils without being mixed every week or so. Air circulation is important to keep the soil fresh as well. They would surely like a cooler temp and that is where the deep layer of ground comes in. The worms living in there is good as well. The sal will find them on it's own but you should still try to get the sal to take one in front of you within a few days. If when settled, it is in your water bowl, that means that the soil is too dry. They are usually easy to keep as long as they don't get too warm. But, they will get leg rot (red leg?) if the soil starts to spoil. Have you checked other, more specific sites? Maybe caudata . org? I have kept these guys for over 30 years throughout life, but I was a kid for most of that time. I'd keep them, then let them go before winter. As an adult, I have kept them a few times. I only rereleased the one last year because I was moving. I thought I'd leave it by the same marsh where it was since it's my sisters house. Let it breed so I can look this year kind of thing. They really can become very personable. Once they realize that YOU are a food source, they love to leap for food. Huge pigs! Remember if handling, rinsed hands. No soap, just wet hands. It helps our salts not irritate their skin. Check out some "false bottom" vivarium set ups for these guys. That's where I'd like to go with one. Heck, as a young and dumb, I kept them in odd habitats. Never had one die. I once kept one in a 10 gal. with 3" of water, basking spot, and a 240w bulb all in an unheated Michigan basement which was my room. That was totally wrong but it lived and never lost weight. Season changed, I moved and took it with me. Let it go some time later. They can endure a lot. But a proper vivarium set up is where I'm headed at some point. I'm even thinking about getting a neonate to start.