You might already know that salamanders eat bugs and worms, but what about fish? That’s a common question, especially when you see these animals swimming in the same streams and ponds as small fish. Do they hunt them? Do they eat them?
The answer is yes, sometimes. But like many things in nature, it depends on the species, the size of the salamander, and where it lives.
Let’s take a closer look at how salamanders eat and whether fish are part of their diet.
What Do Salamanders Usually Eat?
Salamanders are carnivores, which means they eat meat. They don’t eat plants, and they don’t nibble on leaves or fruit. Instead, they hunt live prey, mostly things that are small and easy to swallow.
Here’s what most salamanders like to eat:
- Insects like crickets, beetles, ants, and flies
- Worms, especially soft ones like earthworms
- Slugs and snails, which are easy to catch
- Spiders and centipedes
- Aquatic bugs and insect larvae in streams or ponds
The smaller the salamander, the smaller the prey. But some large salamanders can go after much bigger animals, including fish.
So, Do Salamanders Eat Fish?
Yes, some of them do. But not all. And even for the ones that eat fish, it’s usually not their main food.
Most salamanders eat fish only if they live in water, are large enough to catch them, and come across fish that are small enough to eat.
A tiny forest salamander will never eat a fish. But a large water-dwelling salamander might snap up a small fish or fish egg when the chance comes.
Which Salamanders Are Known to Eat Fish?
There are a few well-known salamanders that sometimes eat fish. These tend to be larger species that live in water full time.
Chinese Giant Salamanders are huge, they can grow over five feet long. They live in cold mountain streams and will eat fish, frogs, crabs, and anything else they can catch.
Japanese Giant Salamanders are similar. These powerful hunters also include fish in their diet.
Hellbenders live in clean rivers in the eastern U.S. and mostly eat crayfish, but they will also eat small fish if they’re nearby.
Tiger Salamander Larvae live in ponds and are known to be aggressive hunters. As larvae, they’ll eat tadpoles, insects, and sometimes small fish.
Mudpuppies, another fully aquatic salamander, also go after fish when they can, especially if the fish are small and slow.
Which Salamanders Don’t Eat Fish?
Most salamanders, especially the ones you find under logs or in your backyard, never eat fish. They just don’t live in the right environment or grow big enough to make fish a good meal.
Red-backed Salamanders live in forests and eat ants, mites, and tiny insects. They’re small and fully land-based.
Dusky Salamanders live near streams but rarely eat anything in the water. Their diet is mostly land insects.
Spotted Salamanders hide underground and only come to ponds to lay eggs. They eat worms, slugs, and soft insects, not fish.
In general, the smaller and more land-based the salamander is, the less likely it is to ever eat fish.
What Makes a Salamander Eat Fish?
Several things affect whether or not a salamander includes fish in its diet:
Size is a big factor. A salamander has to be big enough to catch and swallow a fish.
Habitat matters. Salamanders that live full-time in water are much more likely to find and eat fish than those that live on land.
What food is available also plays a role. If there are lots of insects or worms around, a salamander might ignore fish. But in lean times, it might eat whatever it can catch.
Life stage can change things. Some salamanders eat fish as larvae, but not as adults.
Time of year affects hunting, too. In warm seasons, more food is available. In colder months, salamanders eat less and may be pickier or more opportunistic.
Do Salamanders Help or Harm the Ecosystem?
Even if they sometimes eat fish, salamanders are not harmful to fish populations. In fact, they help keep nature in balance.
They control insects and other invertebrates that might otherwise overrun an area. They also help recycle nutrients in both forest and aquatic environments.
And salamanders themselves are food for other animals. Birds, snakes, raccoons, and fish all eat salamanders. So salamanders are both predator and prey, an important part of many food webs.
In rivers and streams, big salamanders like hellbenders help balance crayfish and fish populations. In forests, smaller salamanders help control insect numbers, which protects plants and trees.
Because they’re so sensitive to pollution, salamanders are also good indicators of environmental health. When their numbers drop, it can be a warning sign that something’s wrong in the ecosystem.
What About Pet Salamanders? Should They Eat Fish?
If you have a salamander as a pet, you might wonder if you should feed it fish. In most cases, the answer is no.
Pet salamanders usually do best with a diet of:
- Crickets and mealworms
- Earthworms
- Bloodworms (for aquatic types like axolotls)
- Special amphibian pellets or frozen foods designed for salamanders
Fish are not necessary for most pet salamanders. If your species is aquatic and large enough, you might offer an occasional feeder fish, but even then, it’s not required. Some fish can carry parasites, so it’s safer to avoid them unless you’re sure they’re disease-free.
Always check what’s best for your specific species. Some do better with soft-bodied prey. Others need a higher-protein diet. Feeding the wrong food can lead to illness or poor health.
Conclusion
So, do salamanders eat fish? Yes, some of them do. But not all. Most salamanders eat insects, worms, and other small invertebrates. Only the larger, water-dwelling species are likely to include fish in their diet, and even then, it’s not their main food.
The type of food a salamander eats depends on its size, where it lives, and what’s available. Fish are just one small part of the varied and fascinating diets of these quiet hunters.
Whether you’re watching a salamander in the wild or taking care of one at home, knowing what they eat helps you better understand their role in nature, and how to help them thrive.