THESE CENTRAL AMERICAN AMPHIBIANS look like kindly space aliens...
Axolotls are actually a weird type of salamander. They live in the murky depths of mysterious Mexican lakes... Their bodies go through several stages and mutations according to whether they are living sub-aqua, on the ground, or wherever ... This is a fairly young one:
They don't mind coming out of the water at all, like this one in natural coloration:
They can even do party tricks. Just like this suspiciously toy-looking one...
I'm not too into animals in "pet shop friendly" colours, but I have to say I do prefer these in pink to sludge green, and I like the 90s style party-ruff:
The colour I prefer most of all is yellow, like this one, which somehow reminds me of Mrs Thatcher ...
See what I mean about axolotl shape-shifting? This one's different again... The most remarkable thing about alolotls is their ability to REGROW CHOPPED OFF LIMBS...! As all animals will be able to do when "the lion lies down with the lamb" in paradise...
Isn't this little guy cute..?!
Baby axolotls are just like tadpoles! Very tiny ... and CUTE..!!
Axolotls in the wild page ...
Keeping axolotls as pets page ...
Looks like Mrs Thatcher...lol. But I see what you mean, it's that trap like mouth.
ReplyDeleteI think they rather remind me of geckoes...probably distantly related like 7th cousins twice removed or something. They're certainly an unusual and fascinating creature.
But unlike gekkos they slumber about in sludgy lake-bottoms and cannot scuttle upside down on ceilings!
ReplyDeleteThank you for being the ONLY PERSON to comment here, I'm honoured!
I had one of those as a pet. It was the slug green one though, and a lot of fun until it changed into an ugly salamander.
ReplyDeleteJanice~
I want a pink one or a yellow one. They're quite rare here and I've only seen them for sale in Harrods. Apparenntly you can't keep them with fish, however, in case they EAT each other..!
ReplyDeleteThat natural coloured one there looks like godzilla!
ReplyDeletebtw did you have you keep it in heated water or room temp?
Oh wow, these little buggers are pretty cute.
ReplyDeleteWow. I've never heard of or seen one of these before. COOL!
ReplyDeleteInteresting critters. Love those gills.
ReplyDeleteBaino: Actually, Axolotls lack the jaw strength to "bite". They actually use their teeth to latch on to their prey, and typically they cannot pierce human skin. You may feel their teeth at your skin, but you definitely won't feel pain. I used to pick my little guys up all the time (mostly for feeding), and after they get used to it they try to latch on to you, and it's actually a really interesting feeling.
ReplyDeleteWhaaaa?! Axolotls should not be taken out of the water their skin is very delicate and easily damaged by human hands and they will not survive for long out of water, they cant even support their own body weight out of the water, where the hell did you hear that this was fine to do? also that suspiciously toy looking axolotl is a toy! Axolotls also dont morph that is why they are so special comapared to other salamanders they will only morph if water conditions are intolerable but as axies are not built to morph they will not survive for long. Anyone intrested in owning an axolotl should not take notice of this info, just look at the pics! Axolotl.org and caudata.org are fantastic sources of information on these animals!
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