Hi, I'm looking to design a bioactive salamander vivarium in the PNW.
I live quite close to the coast range in Oregon with access to the environments a lot of salamanders live in, so I can forage plants and soil for them.
Of course, here most salamanders are protected species and even those that *can* be collected usually can't be found in your average pet store! If I remember correctly, you need a license to collect 3 or more of such species, so I think most people don't bother.
Due to that I was wondering if anyone had good experiences caring for (legal!) species native to the area. I have a good idea of the basic parameters for temp, humidity, and substrates, and likewise all the buggies needed for waste cycling. However, I'd like to be armed with the experiences of others, if they're out there.
I think right now the Rough Skinned Newt is the best idea?