Question: Help! Bought as "baby dinodaur"

Okay so I bought 3 so called baby dinosaurs yesterday. One for my son and two as a gifts. They came with a half sheet of paper that told me very little. I went back to the mall today and there was a different worker there. I asked him what there scientific name was so I could read about them he told me Axolotls. They were purchased in a tiny tank and I was told they could stay there. My question: I have a 55 gallon fish tank with one goldfish and one sucker fish. Can the Axolotl go in there? Does he need a floating rock or something to get out of the water? The two I am giving as gifts- should I tell them to purchase a bgger tank? Any help would be appreciated!

I screwed up and accidently posted this before I was done....

kandine said:

Okay so I bought 3 so called baby dinosaurs yesterday. One for my son and two as a gifts. They came with a half sheet of paper that told me very little. I went back to the mall today and there was a different worker there. I asked him what there scientific name was so I could read about them he told me Axolotls. They were purchased in a tiny tank and I was told they could stay there. My question: I have a 55 gallon fish tank with one goldfish and one sucker fish. Can the Axolotl go in there? Does he need a floating rock or something to get out of the water? The two I am giving as gifts- should I tell them to purchase a bgger tank? Any help would be appreciated!

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Ouch. Ouch. & Ouch.

1. No they cannot live with the goldfish and sucker fish.
a. The goldfish will nip at the axolotls gills
b. The sucker may latch onto the axolotl - it happens
c. If the axolotl is bigger than something in its tank - it may attempt to eat it and with an item with rigid fins or spines this can be fatal.

2. He does not need a floating rock.
a. Axolotls are 100% water critters

3. Animals as gifts - unless specifically requested by the recipient - not usually a good idea. You've just commited them to A. a larger tanks $$$, B. The animals care and well being when you weren't that well informed. C. The animals vet bills.

All that said - they are remarkably easy to care for and a joy to own. Ours are relaxing to watch, entertaining feed and always a conversation starter.

Good luck!
Sharon

If you haven't found it yet. You will probably want to check out www.axolotl.org. It will have all the details you are seeking. A few points that new owners often error on are the following:

-They don't like heated tanks
-Gravel is not a good substrate
-They don't do well with other species

My advice: A 55 gallon tank would be great for three axolotls. Give all three to your son and give the goldfish and sucker away to the others.

I highly doubt that what you have are axolotls. Usually, when sold "baby dinosaurs", especially from a stand in a mall, what you are receiving is the large, late larval form of a tiger salamander, which closely resemble axolotls. The employees often have no idea what they are selling (or if they do, try to pass it off as an axolotl or axolotl X tiger hybrid) and tend to flat-out lie. All the care requirements the others have given you still apply, however, these will eventually metamorphose into a terrestrial form, unlike axolotls. Here is a link that may help you- http://www.caudata.org/cc/species/Ambystoma/A_tigrinum.shtml

Also, look here, one of many other stories like yours; all of the "axolotl" photos in this thread are of tiger salamander larvae- http://www.caudata.org/forum/showthread.php?t=55637&highlight=dinosaur

Good Luck!

How much did your "baby dinosaurs" cost? Every vendors in a mall that I have heard of is not selling axolotls (Ambystoma mexicanum) they are selling tiger salamanders (A. mavortium or tigrinum). Usually you can use price to get an idea if they are axolotls or not. Axolotls will usually be quite expensive in comparison to the tiger salamander. The big problem here is that the animal you have is the salamander equivalent to a tadpole.

Right now they are fully aquatic larvae but soon they will metamorphose into adults in which case they need to be kept completely terrestrial. They will drown if kept in a regular aquarium, especially if they are just about to metamorphose as that is their most sensitive time.

Here is an article on axolotls and tiger salamanders and here is a care sheet for tiger salamanders.

I'd also like to second the recommendation to not buy animals as gifts. There are tons of associated costs and then many animals live a long time. A properly cared for axoltol or tiger salamander can live 10 years or more! Gift cards allow a person to buy the animal they like and the supplies they need.

hope this pic comes through this is what i see in petco sold as dinosaur fish it says polypterus.info on the pic if that helps

sorry not petco petsmart if it matters and that site says its a Polypterus senegalus senegalus

Polypterus sps. fish are often given funny or misleading labels at pet stores. Dinosaur eel is what they are known as at Petco. But the original poster made their purchase at a mall kiosk which is pretty common for the baby dinosaur/tiger salamander larva situation. I very much doubt the animal purchased was a true fish.