Our Newest Pet

Meet our newest pet, a 2 1/2 inch salamander named "Geico".  Before we moved from the farmhouse, one day K was getting something from the cellar.  She came running upstairs and said, "Mom!  There's something slimy down there and it has fins!"  I went to investigate.  There, one the dirt floor, was a tiny salamander!  In January!  In Montana!  I was so amazed! 

K caught him and put him in a small, clear plastic container.  We gave him water in a small plastic cap and gave him some sticks to climb on and some bark to hide under.  Then we called my brother and his wife, who have several pets including a gecko, dog, ferret, and tarantula.  They told us how to care for him.  We had so many live flies in the old farmhouse that we didn't have to buy him food until we moved. 

After we moved, we went to the pet store and got him a real house, put several inches of potting soil in it, and gave him a swimming pool.  He seems to be doing just fine, much to my surprise!  He's actually a fun little pet to have, just as long as I don't have to catch him or touch him!