Post by TenebrousNova on Oct 16, 2010 22:10:25 GMT
Out of curiosity, how many people here keep them? I'm the only person I know who does.
The Axolotl is a neotenous breed of Salamander, meaning that instead of going from egg to larva to adult, it grows while retaining its larval form all its life. This means its basically a overgrown salamander tadpole that can breed, and so it keeps its fins and external gills, living in water all of its life.
They are actually on the list of endangered species, as they are native to only two lakes in Mexico, one of which is drained and the other exists as a system of polluted canals as the cities in Mexico expand. There are few wild Axolotls left, and introduced fish to the area eat the Axolotl young and compete for food.
Therefore, they are rare in the wild, and uncommon in pet shops.
Fortunately they are easy to breed, and can be kept as pets. They mainly have the support from scientists as a model organism, as their embryos are tough. Furthermore, Axies can completely regenerate damaged body parts without scar tissue. The oldest one on record has lived for about 25 years. Interesting creature, hmm?
They are also capable of completing their metamorphosis into a full Salamander, but this is very rare and rarely successful. But I think they look cool how they are.
My own Axolotl (a dark speckled female called Medusa) actually seems to recognise me from a distance, and tries getting my attention which is cute- she also likes to try and bite me, though their teeth are tiny and weak.
In fact, while most animals will run away, my one gets excited when she sees people and will follow them around her aquarium.
She's pretty greedy and will swallow a 6 CM long worm in a few seconds. Since their teeth are underdeveloped and used for gripping, they feed by suction. They do this by suddenly opening their mouths, and sucking in water and food that might be in front. This vacuum action often causes the Axolotl to lurch
up into the water before settling down again, which looks amusing.
A couple of Axolotls:
So, what do you think of them? They are amazing pets, and most of them aren't shy at all.
Does anyone here have one for a pet?
The Axolotl is a neotenous breed of Salamander, meaning that instead of going from egg to larva to adult, it grows while retaining its larval form all its life. This means its basically a overgrown salamander tadpole that can breed, and so it keeps its fins and external gills, living in water all of its life.
They are actually on the list of endangered species, as they are native to only two lakes in Mexico, one of which is drained and the other exists as a system of polluted canals as the cities in Mexico expand. There are few wild Axolotls left, and introduced fish to the area eat the Axolotl young and compete for food.
Therefore, they are rare in the wild, and uncommon in pet shops.Fortunately they are easy to breed, and can be kept as pets. They mainly have the support from scientists as a model organism, as their embryos are tough. Furthermore, Axies can completely regenerate damaged body parts without scar tissue. The oldest one on record has lived for about 25 years. Interesting creature, hmm?
They are also capable of completing their metamorphosis into a full Salamander, but this is very rare and rarely successful. But I think they look cool how they are.
My own Axolotl (a dark speckled female called Medusa) actually seems to recognise me from a distance, and tries getting my attention which is cute- she also likes to try and bite me, though their teeth are tiny and weak.
In fact, while most animals will run away, my one gets excited when she sees people and will follow them around her aquarium. She's pretty greedy and will swallow a 6 CM long worm in a few seconds. Since their teeth are underdeveloped and used for gripping, they feed by suction. They do this by suddenly opening their mouths, and sucking in water and food that might be in front. This vacuum action often causes the Axolotl to lurch
up into the water before settling down again, which looks amusing.
A couple of Axolotls:
So, what do you think of them? They are amazing pets, and most of them aren't shy at all.
Does anyone here have one for a pet?
