Question: How to care for a morphed axolotl

[benkelly13]

I got her from a pet shop that seemed kind of oblivious to the requirements of any thing. I noticed that there was a cage marked axolotl and there was a morphed one in there and I got it. I have some experience with Texas barred tiger salamanders, I put it in the same kind of environment as one . I am wondering if it is what I should be doing. There is a soaking dish, a hide and a few inches of terrarium moss so it can burrow. Also what should I feed it? I have been feeding it crickets.

[Nathan]

Originally Posted by benkelly13

Also what should i feed it, i have been feeding it crickets.

Crickets are OK, but they aren't the best staple. Earthworms are a far better choice, and your animal will love them, no doubt. You can collect them yourself (if the soil is pesticide free) or purchase them from bait shops, pet stores, online, and even Walmart.

Other than that, you seem to be on the right track. Morphed axolotls have near identical care requirements to Tiger salamanders. Here's a care-sheet for anything you may have missed- Caudata Culture Species Entry - Tiger salamander

Additionally, are you certain it's an axolotl? It may very well be some sort of Tiger. Regardless, the care should be the same.

[benkelly13]

The pet shop insists that it was a mexican axolotl but I am not completely sure. I can post some picyures tomorow. But by earth worms do you mean night crawlers, because that is all I have seen. That is what I use to feed my salamanders, but one of them died and it really freaked me out.

[benkelly13]

Here is some pics of it, please tell me if you think it is an axolotl or a mix of one and another tiger or whatever.

[Jennewt]

It looks like a morphed tiger salamander to me, not an axolotl. A lot of people, including pet shops, don't really understand the difference between a true axolotl and a tiger larva (waterdog). One way to tell the difference is price: wild-caught tiger larvae sell wholesale for <$1 each, while axolotls only come from breeders and usually fetch higher prices. If the retail price was less than $10, I would bet on it being a tiger.

Also, compare the coloration to the morphed wild type shown here:
Caudata Culture Species Entry - Ambystoma mexicanum - Axolotl

[benkelly13]

It costed me sixteen dollars and and they insisted it was an axolotl but i guess i can never be sure. If you look carefully at it you can see a kind of odd color to it, could that help prove its a axolotl.

[Rodrigo]

Tiger salamander for sure. There´s no way that could be an axolotl.

[benkelly13]

How can you tell?

[CherryBlossom]

Caudata Culture Species Entry - Tiger salamander

I would say it´s a tiger salamander too.

[Eric]

Originally Posted by benkelly13

how can you tell

By it´s appearance.

[A. Macxicanum]

You can tell if you have ever seen other pictures of morphed Axolotls. I'm no expert. But that's not an Axolotl. I'd bet anyone other than my own's life on it.

[oceanblue]

The colour certainly looks a lot more like a tiger than all the pictures of morphed axolotls I have seen. The next feature to look at is hand and foot shape. Morphed axolotls retain the same thin long fingers and toes as unmorphed axolotls

I've tried comparing the foot shape with my (artificially) morphed leucistic axolotl and think they are a lot shorter and fatter and so I too think this is a tiger. I'm sorry my camera is down at the moment and I do not have a decent Hand/foot Photo. This is the best I can do at the moment.

[deliriah]

Definatly looks like a tiger sal to me.

[benkelly13]

then what species is it

[Eric]

This picture is similar to your Salamander, and it is a Ambystoma tigrinum