My pet shop says Axolotl are illegal in the US

Yeah I was wondering.... I'm trying to get a local pet shop to order an Axolotl for me so I can just go to the store and pick it up. They told me that they are endangered and illegal to import to the US. There has to be a difference between the ones here and the ones that are endangered right? I mean if there is so much scientific research going on with them and lots of them being sold as pets right here in the US...there has to be a way my pet shop can get a hold of one.

So isn't that enough proof that it's legal here? And I live in Texas, so it's not because i'm in a state that bans them.

I just found these amazing creates were available as pets...the first time I saw them was on planet earth..and I was speechless. It would be greatly appreciated if you guys could help me with some information that I can tell the pet shop!
Thanks,
Drew

Hi Drew,

Axolotls are indeed protected animals. They cannot be legally imported/exported without the appropriate permits - not just to/from the US but to/from any country that conforms to the CITES regulations. There is no reason why your pet shop can't get axolotls from a breeder in the United States, though. You can, too, most likely. Check out the for sale section in this forum and maybe you will find something there.

Good luck,

-Eva

Hi Drew!

To some extent your petshop is right. They are endangered and its very difficult, if not impossible, to import them.

That said, its perfectly possible to buy captive bred specimens here in the united states.

Chances are your local petshop is being lazy and cheap. They'll barely break even ordering the few that will sell rapidly. This is because your local petshop is ignorant and doesn't know how to keep them healthy and boost sells with add ons like sand, large rocks and log hides. But thats to your advantage.

Keep an eye on this sites For Sale section... http://www.caudata.org/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=65 .... There are frequently axolotls being sold and a good number of reputable breeders. AND between the cost of the animal and charges for shipping you'll be paying petshop prices anyway.

While you're waiting for axolotl sales to show up, keep reading here. And here... http://www.axolotl.org/ for proper housing and care.

AND!!! Please try to get your parents involved. To some extent you're going to need their help and cooperation.

Good luck!

Well, your pet shop is correct in that it is illegal to import axolotls without proper CITES documentation and other expensive and difficult to obtain paperwork. None of that applies to axolotls already in the country. The axolotls used in scientific research and kept as pets are pretty close to wild types but they have been selectively bred for many different traits and some have been crossed with neotenic tiger salamanders but these are all minutiae.

Having worked in a pet store I don't think any of the major distributors sells axolotls meaning you will only see them in small pet stores where the owner knows a local breeder to make purchases from.

I would suggest checking out the For Sale forums mentioned above. This post is even from a seller in Texas, might be local enough for pick up.

Technically speaking, a CITES-listed species cannot be legally bought or sold, even within the US. However, axolotls are an exception because of their commonness in captivity. I suspect that if you asked US Fish&Game, they would tell you more specifically what loophole allows the sale of axolotls in the US. Or perhaps it's just a case where they choose not to enforce the law on this species because it would totally defy common sense. I don't know, but I do know that axolotl sales are done all the time by perfectly law-abiding organizations, including the major biological supply houses.

Why do you want to get the pet shop to order the axolotl for pickup? The only reason that this would be an advantage is that you can look at the axolotl closely before paying for it. However, there are significant disadvantages too. I'll elaborate, if you want me to. Sharon alluded to some already.

Thanks for the info! Well, this petshop is where my neighbor always buys exotic frogs and he loves them, thats why I figured id ask them first, but now that you put it that way, I can see how it would be much better to go through someone else. Not to mention they were rude, and never replied back to my message telling them about breeders here inside the states haha

Thanks for all the help, this site is a godsend

Jennewt said:

Technically speaking, a CITES-listed species cannot be legally bought or sold, even within the US. However, axolotls are an exception because of their commonness in captivity. I suspect that if you asked US Fish&Game, they would tell you more specifically what loophole allows the sale of axolotls in the US. Or perhaps it's just a case where they choose not to enforce the law on this species because it would totally defy common sense. I don't know, but I do know that axolotl sales are done all the time by perfectly law-abiding organizations, including the major biological supply houses.

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CITES II animals don't need any permit when sold within the boundaries of the U.S. as long as they are offspring from legal stock or legally imported. Most Cites I animals need special permits to be kept. Axolotls are still CITES II and can be freely sold just like dart frogs. There has been some talk about making axolotls CITES I. If that happens it's my guess that a special exception will be granted for animals in country.

Druhue said:

I know of the site Axolotl Facts Ambystoma Mexicanum Buy Axolotl For Sale Buy

So isn't that enough proof that it's legal here?

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Posting commercial ads is against forum policy.

Druhue there will be plenty of Axies for sale in the next few months on this site. You will get a better price and better animals from the people on here than the site you are loooking at. The prices there are extremely high they are double what I have paid for mine . Stick with us