Axolots are illegal here in California. I live in Nor Cal myself.
The reasons for their illegality are far and wide. The main reason is because they (and all salamanders of the Ambystoma genus) have the potential of breeding with the native California Tiger Salamander (Ambystoma californiense) which would create hybrids that can potentially survive better than the native species.
wow. this legislation is ridiculous.
the concern is that the native tiger salamander is dwindling (presumably because of things humans have done, probably all legal), so they write legislation to keep out stronger, inter-breedable salamanders? that's like saying upper-middle class white people don't reproduce here anymore, so to keep the gene pool clean we should keep out the harder working, more fertile Mexican immigrants. ...oh wait, we do that too. bad example.
do they want salamanders to disappear? it's not like our ecosystems are in perfect balance now &
stronger salamanders could hurt that. our salamanders are suffering & stronger ones might restore a balance.
it seems very clear that the intention of the legislation was to stop tiger salamander import/export/ownership/capture, since the text refers to "Ambystomid (tiger salamander)." why the parantheses? it does NOT say "Ambystomid (like the tiger salamander)" or "Ambystomid (including but not limited to the tiger salamander)." someone just assumed the name ambystomid only includes the tiger salamander.
i'm not going to say the names of the places (so they can stay in business), but I know of several big, reputable, pretty fish stores in Northern California that sell Axolotls. they aren't shifty or trying to hide them, but rather keep them in front because they are so interesting.
It amazes me that you haven't used the search facility here. This has been discussed so many times, including actual quotation of the relevant law as well as how to report violators. I mean, come on, why do we put this forum up on the net if no one reads it?
this quote kind of scares me. sounds like the attitude of someone in a police state. "Are you hiding any Jews!? Any axolotls!?" i searched the forums for the words "report violators" after reading this & only came up with this page. still, yikes!
not every aquatic animal coming into this state is automatically going in the river. the prices alone are enough to deter parents from buying one of these for their snot-nosed kid to play with. responsible adults keep amphibians in covered terrariums with steep glass walls inside closed houses, & don't dump their adorable, expensive pets in the river.
also, whatever happened to peacably objecting to unreasonable laws? aren't governments supposed to answer to us? people who live peacefully & quietly with whatever animals are probably going to be left alone. that's how weed works. it's illegal, but it never hurts anybody, so nobody ever gets in trouble. i would hardly want to live here in California if police came bursting into random houses all the time looking for mudkips & "special" brownies. lol
