Question: What's the deal with NJ and Axolotls?

I was looking at Kaysie's post in For Sale... it said no shipping to New Jersey, now why is that? Are they illegal and if so, why would they be? Just wondering... I really want an Axolotl!

Ok so they are illegal in New Jersey. I also know why, but what would happen as a result of interbreeding? I guess I have no chance of getting an axolotl now. This kinda stinks...

Axolotls are illegal in many areas because of their ability to interbreed with native species. In New Jersey, they could breed with Tiger salamanders, which are endangered. In California, they could interbreed with California Tigers, which are federally endangered. Often, these hybrids are better able to survive than either parent species (Hybrid Vigor theory). If the hybrids can outcompete the parent species (one of which is endangered), then the parents are toast.

But don't let it discourage you from keeping caudates! There are many species which are just as cool. I would personally recommend Pleurodeles waltl. They're permanently aquatic, they're kind of funny looking, they're great eaters, they are very comedic, and generally make good pets.

Haha, thanks. I'll look into that, they do look pretty interesting. Haha, it seems everything is illegal in NJ, Red-Eared Sliders are illegal here along with a bunch of other pets and it kinda stinks not having a choice from a lot of exotic pets. I like dogs and cats, but I like having a unique pet...

There are plenty of unique pets out there. Red-eared sliders should be illegal as pets everywhere. They are AMAZINGLY adaptive, and can easily colonize just about anywhere. They're large, voracious, and can easily out-compete native species. Personally, I have a musk turtle. It's really cute. Much cuter than a slider.

Yeah, I agree, my friend has a RES (No matter how much I tell him to get rid of it, but he is a good owner, and wouldn't let the turtle go out into the wild, which is good), and it is very fierce and really attacks it's food. It ate 7 feeder fish, threw them up and then proceeded to eat more...

I think other turtles are legal in NJ though, but they get pretty expensive. I'll just keep looking around for a nice pet though. Appreciate the help.

Um you told him to get rid of it? How is that responsible? I suppose the MOST responsible thing would have been to encourage him to not acquire it in the first place. But he has it now. Whats he supposed to do with it? Pass the responsibility off to someone else?

My RES lives in a cloud of guppies and goldfish. Somehow there are always some in his pond. He eats when he is hungry and basks when he is not. I think your friend has been starving the turtle 'causing the extreme reaction of feeding till its gorged, puking and then eating some more.

Sharon

Ahh They sell Axolotls in PA. at the Hamburg Reptile show every month. Right next door. But Im sure driving them across state lines would get you in trouble too. And as far as I know all turtles are illegal in NJ. The people at a pet store over there told me that. They can sell Nile monitors that get 8 feet long but no turtles. It seems to me it would be best if breeders were allowed to breed native turtles and sell them in their home range only. It would actually boost populations. That way it would not matter if they were released when they became unwanted. I catch very large red ear sliders here in PA all the time. And I remove them so they stop competeing for food and space with our native red bellied turtles. They love carp bait with vanilla scent. Speaking of musk turtles Quess what eats them. Bullfrogs like you wouldn't beleive I know a guy that hunts bullfrogs and he is always showing me dead turtles and crayfish that he finds in their bellies:happy: