Should I...

There's a cute, friendly chicky axie right now in the same shop I got Falkor from. She's nice and plump and really... interactive, I guess is the word- she comes right up to say hello and follows your fingers, something Falkor's only just learning to do, and she has these funny huge eyes (for an axie!) She's also a coolish colour, it's like a really really dark charcoal grey, not quite black, and solid all the way through with no speckles anywhere. I want to eventually get a pal for Falkor, but I can't decide if she's the one. She's about an inch and a half bigger, and her gills have been almost completely chewed off. All of them. There are no raw, fresh bites, and no signs of infection, but I'm still a bit leery... They night as well no be there at all, they're so tiny! I'm also worried about the size difference, though I can easily separate them until they even out. I also don't know for sure if Falkor is a boy yet, but I think he is. If not, will two females fight?

She's soooo beautiful (gills aside!), but I just don't know!

Hi Leah, IF the gillsa re almost gone and the eyes are a bit bulgy I would keep money in your pocket and try and watch it for a couple of weeks.

Of course you risk losing her bit if she is unwell or damaged goods u might not really want her.

Maybe its really a morphing tiger. No gills, bulging eyes...

I thought of that too Kaysie, but the tail wasn't reduced at all, and I don't know if you can get tigers here in Australia. Their import laws are so strict, and you have to have permits to own most reptiles and amphibs... I'm just not sure! Her eyes aren't so much bulging as they are just plain big- I wonder if the store would mind me taking some pictures of her?

Mik, what could bulgy eyes mean? They looked healthy and clear, but I'll try to get a pic so you can see.

If she is a tiger, I'd LOVE to have her! I had two tigers in Canada- Dumbledore and Sallymander, who were the cutest things ever!

I live in australia and I wish there were newts and salamanders here - but theres not. I think that it is highly unlikley that one got into the country - but it might be possible??????? I think just watch her for a while and see if she changes any more - then you run the risk of someone else buying her??? Talk to the pet shop owners about a layby or somthing - pay her off over a month or 2 months, then if she gets really sick or dies in that time you could ask for your money back. Iv'e never heard of pet shops doing this - but I don't know - it might be ok?????

when i got my axie from the pet store about 3 week ago the gills where chewed to bits but after about 2 weeks maybe one they are beck to normal and its perfectly healthy

I'm pretty sure that when you buy a pet from the pet store and it gets ill and/or dies, you are entitled to a refund or at least a new animal... especially if you make a big enough fuss about it

I might ask the store about holding her for me. It's a pretty small town, and in the shape she's in I can't see anyone buying her, but you never know! I didn't get in to take a picture today, but if they're open in the morning I'm going to try to get in.

When tigers morph, do they lose the gills before their tails? I thought the two changes sort of happened simultaneously, which would rule out the possibility of her being a tiger in disguise... going to go look it up

When my tiger began to morph, the first thing I noticed was that she started blinking. I'd be watching her and every once in a while, she'd blink. Eventually her gills started getting shorter and she'd be taking more breaths at the surface. Not much later her tail ridge began receding and her spots became more prominent.

Hope that helps.

Sorry hadn't had time to read all the last few posts but the bulgy eyes and the gill things made me thing of a tiger sallie that was beginning to morph. But I didn't want to suggest it because morphing's rare in axies and people get all hypo and start diagnosing that their own axie is morphing. But Dot is bang-on, the blinking is a significant indicator of morphing too.

Plus I saw that you were in Oz and I don't know how common tigers are there wrt to axies.

Lay-away might be a good option pay a little to the shop to hold her for a few weeks that way you can see if she improves as an axie / getting worse or is undergoing other morphing type symptoms.

Ookaaay... I got a picture of her today. It's a fairly average shot, but hopefully you'll get the idea. The store owner didn't want to hold her for me, but he did say that he'd replace the animal if it died and was willing to reduce the price a bit because of the condition she's in. He said the wildtype colours are the hardest to sell, that people usually go for the golden albinos first, so she probably wouldn't go anywhere if I wanted to leave her another couple weeks, but no guarantee. I'm still deciding- I really like her personality, but... but but but!!!!

I also got tons of pictures of Falkor exploring his new sandy tank. Enjoy!

It's hard to see the big eyes in the picture, but at least you'll see what I mean by NO gills! Here she is (and Falkor too of course!)...

THAT IS NO AXOLOTL!!!! Well it doesnt look like one any way - personally I would buy her right now!!!

Ok, I had another look at the photo, and she is such a cool colour!!! She has a bit of a funny shaped head, a bit different to an axi - maybe she is morphing??? Actually her whole body looks a differnt than normal shape. Did you ask the pet shop about when it was they got her in and if she had gills then and what sort of changes have happened???

I don't know much about morphing, but is it possible that it is an axolotl, and it's just morphing by itself, but it's not a tiger salamander? I know that most axolotls have lost the ability to morph, and if they do they only usually do it under changed conditions, but what if it's just a "special" one and it decided that it didn't like living in water, so it just started to change, with out any human help?!

I would buy her, infact I would probably almost travel to South Australia to get her!!! If you decide not to get her, let me know!!! Where about's in SA are you? Can you ask the pet shop where they get their axis from for me please?

He said she'd been like that since they'd gotten her (about 3 weeks) but I didn't ask for specifics on where she'd come from. I watched her in the store for about 20 minutes today, and she did an awful lot of gulping air in that time, so if I did get her I think I'd need to make an island of some kind, but I do love the colour! I did ask about where they get their axies though- they come from a local breeder, but she's only got hatchlings a few weeks old right now, so this one isn't from her. She was the only one, and hasn't sold, YET!

I'm in the Adelaide Hills, and I'd be glad to get her for you if you do want her. Up till tonight, I would have said I was prepared to house a tiger, but I nearly hit a toad tonight driving and felt really bad leaving it on the road to get squashed by the next car, so I rescued it. I now have to drag this old tank out from behind the shed and clean/reseal it to house the toad, because I can't turn it back loose- they're considered pests here right? Toady will be taking the potential tiger house, so... It's a large tank and I could put a divider in, but... argh! I'm really hoping she'll just grow gills and be an axolotl so Falkor can have a pal!

Be pretty cool if she was morphing on her own though, or turned out to be a tiger!!!

(Message edited by trip on August 29, 2004)

Falkor, looks great enjoying his new tank.
I like the second to last piccy where you see his colour properly best.

For what it's worth I think it is an axie. I am assuming the shop owner got it at the same time and from the same source as the other axies he has sold. But the gills are nearly gone, good job they get fair amount of o2 through skin and rudimentary lungs.
I think I can just make out the stubs of the branches and thay should regrow. Have you decided what to do...sit & wait or plunge in and buy?

By the way, how much is an axie in Oz. In UK they seem to vary between 10 and thirty quid (30A$-90A$). To me, that isn't very much to risk in buying it and seeing how it turns out. But I realise that axie-prices and incomes might not be comparable down there.

Leah --

For what it's worth, to me it looks like a morphing tiger, though I know that the only caudates allowed in the Aussie pet trade are axolotls. Her tail ridge is very receded compared to Falkor's and her eyes are buldgy. If you see her again, watch her a bit and if she blinks, she may be a tiger, or maybe even a morphing axie like Mik said.

If you've got the time, and you're still interested in purchasing her, maybe it'd be worth it to check in on her every once in a while at the pet store just to make sure she is an axolotl and is healthy and regenerating properly.

KILL THE TOAD!!! IF IT IS A CANE TOAD IT WILL POISION YOU!!!! THEY ARE A PEST AND YOU SHOULD KILL ANY THAT YOU SEE!! PLUS IT COULD KILL YOU OR AT BEST MAKE YOU VER VERY SICK. IT COULD MAKE YOU GO BLIND AND ROT YOUR SKIN.....THIS IS NO EXAGERATION! KILL IT!!!! AND IF YOU PUT IT IN A TANK IT WILL POISION THAT TOO!!!!!!! YOU WONT BE ABLE TO USE IT AGAIN!!!!! iF YOU PUT A DIVIDER IN THE TANK AND PUT THE AXI? IN THERE WITH THE TOAD IT WILL DIE!!!!!

KILL THE TOAD

KILL THE TOAD

KILL THE TOAD

KILL THE TOAD

IS THIS GETTING THROUGH TO YOU????

KILL THE TAOD

KILL THE TOAD!!!!!!

Ok, dot and I just had a bit of a talk about this little lady, and we think she is a morphing axi. There is a distinct difference in the shape of her head as well as her body, and from the photo (although no clear) it looks like she might have eyelids.

I would love to have her if you don't want to. But I live near Brisbane!!! Are you comming to Queensland or Northen New South Wales any time soon? Or know anyone who is? I would hate for someone who didn't know what it was or how to look after it to have it!!!! Please tell me you are going on a holiday to Brisbane soon!!!

I want her sooooo bad!

Hearing you loud and clear Mary It's no cane toad, that much I'm sure of. It doesn't have the bony ridge above the eyes, and has no webbing on the back feet. Plus, they're not supposed to have spread this far south... yet? I had a moment of panic when I first saw it in the light though! Hmm... 99% sure it's not a cane toad, I REALLY hope not at least, because I know I couldn't kill it! I haven't touched it directly, only with gloves, because I still don't know what kind it is, but I'll take some pictures in a few minutes here and post them in the photos section to see if someone can give me a positive ID.

I went to the shop today to look at the axie again. I didn't see her blink, but her eyes are definitely big. I'll probably stop by tomorow again to check- I think her tail is receding since I first saw her a few weeks ago, and her gills haven't grown any, so I'm a bit scared to buy her. If she's morphing, it's all good, but I'd hate to get attached to her and have her die because she's sick! Seeing as I'm not quite ready to buy her, I did the only sensible thing and got myself two mystery snails

Mik- Most stores here sell their axies for around 30$, though I've only been in a few, but this store sells them for 15$! (woohoo!) Since they're willing to discount the price some, I'd be getting a great deal... as long as she is healthy... sigh...