Eastern Redback Salamanders - Over Abundance is Killing Them

These salamanders are so over abundant in my area everyone is taking them home and they are all dying. I recently discovered that my friends sister had gone out and caught over 15 of these eastern redbacks and her brother(my bud) said in 2 days just about all of them have died..she is seven, I took the remaining ones away from her and I wanted to plan on keeping them, I am against capturing animals in the wild but these guys would benefit from getting their food delivered to them in a tank

I have had a lot of luck with wild caught pets before, when I was about 10 I caught a wild frog in a pond and brought him home(urban area) I kept him for half a year then released him in my garden in my backyard(small) and for two years I sometimes would find him in their hoping around, then I don't know where he went. I have had an eastern salamander as a pet before and he did well until I released him( about 3-4months), I was just wondering if you guys would be against keeping a few of them. I just think it is really a unique pet and their really are no videos on them, or caresheets or information. So I was thinking I could keep some and make a caresheet on them to help people in the future who capture these fellows keep them alive and happy.

Capturing any animal in mass from a given area is a great way to wipe them out of an area and ensure that you never see such abundance again.

Originally Posted by Anthony14

I am against capturing animals in the wild but these guys would benefit from getting their food delivered to them in a tank

I have had a lot of luck with wild caught pets before, when I was about 10 I caught a wild frog in a pond and brought him home(urban area) I kept him for half a year then released him in my garden in my backyard(small) and for two years I sometimes would find him in their hoping around, then I don't know where he went. I have had an eastern salamander as a pet before and he did well until I released him( about 3-4months),.

Anthony, you are contradicting yourself! Are you against it or not? Actions speak louder than words! You also better check your information, "... they are over-abundant..." Is that your own opinion or do you have proof?
I would suggest you check the legal issues concerning the capture and/or release of wild caught species...

What I was saying was I was going to take one from my friends sister who captured them all, and they are over abundant in my area, I can catch 50-60 in an hour no problem down where I am. Im not saying I have gone and personally done this but EVERY ROCK YOU FLIP YOU WILL FIND ONE.

Interesting thing I found about Red-Backed Salamanders while Researching Chytrid Fungus. This is from Wikipedia.

Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (or Bd for short) is a chytrid fungus

Immunity hypotheses

Because of the fungus' immense capacity for effecting amphibian population declines, considerable research exists for methods to combat its proliferation. Among the most promising is the revelation that amphibians in colonies that survive the passage of the chytrid epidemic tend to carry higher levels of the bacteria Janthinobacterium lividum. This bacteria produces antifungal compounds, such as indole-3-carboxaldehyde and violacein, that inhibit the growth of Bd even at low concentrations. Similarly, the bacteria Lysobacter gummosus found on the red-backed salamander (Plethodon cinereus), produces the compound 2,4-diacetylphloroglucinol that is inhibitory to the growth of Bd.