So my petstore was selling morphed axolotls...

... I say *was*, because all are now safe at home with me!

It's been a long time since I've posted here, so I'm not sure if anyone remembers me, but... I need your help!

I kept Tiger sals in Canada before I moved to Australia, so I do have *some* experience outside of keeping regular axies, but I'm worried about keeping the morphs happy and healthy for as long as possible. So far their behaviour isn't anything like my old tigers- even though they are fully morphed and walking about on land, they're still behaving like axolotls in the water. They rear up constantly, gulping as if taking a breath of air from the surface, even though they're nowhere near the water! They snuffle around the ground like an axie looking for food, seem almost totally blind, and aren't showing any interest in burrowing as I expected them to do. I'm worried they'll drown in the water, or dry up on land, they're just so... AWKWARD!

I've got four- a wildtype, a melanoid (from what I can tell, but could be very dark wildtype?) a white albino, and a golden. The two dark ones have eaten several crickets and a worm each on their own, but the two albinos have only eaten by hand, and only a small worm each. The golden has a sore on his back (maybe from being injected?) I don't mind handfeeding if needed, but do you think I should separate the albinos from the other two? They seem weaker, and less responsive overall than the dark pair.

Where do I get thyroxine? How do I continue with the injections, and where do I inject? Or can a forced morph be kept healthy without regular thyroxine shots? They definitely are not natural morphs.

Thanks for any information you can give me!

(Falkor and Aximander are still doing very well, if anyone remembers them! I've also got a male now, Nemo! )

lucky; id love a leucistic morph to keep the morph i got yesterday company

I'm curious... what information did the pet shop give you? I'm sure that if you need to continue treating them with thyroxine, you would need assistance from a vet (unless you can contact the person who treated them prior to now). I have no idea if continuing the thyroxine is necessary or not.

I don't think they would drown, particularly if you give them a water area that they can easily climb out of. It sounds like they may not be completely ready for land yet.

Please keep us posted on how they do.

Some say that post-metamorphs should be given thyroxine injections on a regular basis (how often I do not know).

Like Jennifer said, you probably won't have drowning occur in the water if you give them a gradually sloping bank around it that they can just walk out of.

The ones that eat only by hand may be alright, because I know some of mine that I have fed by hand in the past are reluctant to eat food off the bottom of their enclosure (but mine are also not terrestrial like yours).

They've got a slanted water dish that slopes up from the deep end and exits/is open and flat at the land end- deep enough for them to be fully submerged, but not enough so they can swim properly. They seem to prefer the land, and are walking well, but... yeah, not completely ready for land was my impression too!

That would be good if no more thyroxine was needed! I'd heard that they develop skin problems or diseases without regular treatment, but never found out exactly what the complications would be... was hoping someone here would know more

The store told me that they got them from an axolotl breeder in Adelaide who makes them morph by injecting them with "something." I had to ask them to call the person who actually purchased the morphs for the store to get even that little bit of info- the people working at the time didn't realise they were axolotls, just that they were some kind of funny looking salamander. They were being sold as "Salamander" with no care information at all

If you want to read up on the hows and why its required long-term see

Brunst; The axolotl (siredon mexicanum). As material for scientific research; Lab Invest. 1955 Jan-Feb;4(1):45-64.

You should be able to buy copies through pub-med

Ed



(Message edited by Ed on December 02, 2006)

How exciting!
I just hope the axolotl's weren't stressed too much during their morph. Wishing you the best of luck! Hope everything goes well, Any chance of some pictures?

Does it seem that there are more and more morphed axie's popping up?

Regards Eastern_axle

I've heard from a reliable source that metamorphed axololts need thyroxine injections or they cannot shed properly and will die. However, it's possible that lines that are crossed with tiger salamanders may not need the injections. I do know one person who kept a morphed axie for years, and I believe he was not giving it injections.

I will add one other thought of mine, though it won't be popular here. I don't see much reason to be happy that morphed axolotls are showing up in the pet trade in Australia. I understand the desire to have a salamander pet, but mass producing morphed axies seems like a very bad idea to me. Most people who get them as pets will not be willing/able to provide injections. It's just an abuse of the animals in order for someone to make a buck by providing a new & different pet. Would our society tolerate this if it were a dog or cat being treated with hormones in order to make it look different in a way that would probably shorten its life?

Excellent- thanks Ed! I was hoping there would be some reading I could do!

Agree 100% with you Jennifer, and I am NOT happy to be seeing them in stores, not at all. I brought them home because I had the space and time, and (I sincerely hope) the ability to care for them properly. They're sad looking little creatures, nothing like my quirky 'proper' axolotls or the vigorous, active tigers I had.

It wouldn't be an issue precisely for the fact that salamanders and newts are illegal here; because if they somehow escaped and repopulated in the wild, their toxic secretions would kill our native wild life. That said, if they were maintained properly in the past by owners it would be a non issue to this day. Ultimately the inability to own salamanders and newts (easily and legally) contributes to the demand for morphed axolotls. No, not all owners who manage to get one to look after (like Leah and Myself) will be informed individuals with the ability to care for such creatures. Some will be irresponsible children or clueless adults. This however is a fact of life, and while it is unfortunate, getting on one's soap box will probably not change a great deal of things. Consumerism and profit making will combat protesting and boycotting. Just my 2 cents.

I personally don't like the idea of morphed axie's I think they're fantastic just the way they are! I just noticed that there seems to be more and more stories of them popping up, Just thought it might be the weather or something like that?

Regards Eastern_axle

increased production to meet rising demand is the most likely cause

its a shame that money drives people more than welfare of living animals but thats just the way the world is. If there is proffit in it then they will find a way to exploit it.