axolotl´s farm

[Celeste]

Hi guys!

I think this is cool, and I wanted to share with you all, hope you like it.

Here in Mexico, most people thinks that an axolotl is the larva that becomes into a toad or a frog... this is sad because as you know they are natives from here and also a specie in danger. How can we take care of something we dont know that even exist?

Well, there are a couple of places, named UMA (with my english I cant translate the exact meaning but is a unit that regulates and protect the enviroment, any specie or place, just 2 of them about axolotls all over Mexico) and I went for vacations to visit this one. Its name is "Granja de Axolotl", axolotl´s farm. It is in Xico, Veracruz, more than 3000 meters above sea´s altitude, and they are breeding axolotls (imported from Kentucky) trying to keep the specie alive and with time make some artificial lakes so they can live there.

All the people in there are well caring of axolotls, the people in charge are biologists, very kind people. They give axolotls lab management, no filter or aquarium set up. The axolotls are very well fed and chubby, very reactive and healthy.



Some pictures, hope you like them!!

 

[ianclick]

Hi Celeste.

What a great place I am going to South America in November so I will make some time to come and have a look.

I think its really cool that somewhere in Mexico is doing this.

 

[callina]

oh, that`s great!

I wish, I could go to Mexico to see this wonderful place with my own eyes.

 

[454]

Nice, good to see efforts to save axolotls. I live in Montana and we have a chain of lakes called the Axolotls lakes. Of course they inhabit tiger salamanders instead of Axoltols though.

Thanks for sharing this, Bc

 

[elchicano]

Celeste that's great, I was wondering if there were any places like this is Mexico. When I got my axies i showed them to my parents, which are both from mexico. They were surprise to find out that Axolotls are native to Mexico. Both of them had not seen an Axolotl before i showed them mine. It's kind of sad that most people that are from Mexico don't have any knowledge about these great animals.

 

[slimer]

Wow, that place looks cool. I like the axie shaped building. Do you have any more pictures of the farm you can share? Thanks.

 

[Jadore axolotl]

Do you have any pictures showing the axolotls there?? I would love to see them.

 

[Celeste]

Hi!!! It is good to know you like it!!

Yes, I think is sad the situation but I think this is a nice big step to begin with, dont you think?

Let me post some more pictures, Im sorry about the quality of those with axies in it... about the structure there are a couple of details (anatomic ones), but i loved it!!

 

[Celeste]

sorry, I couldnt get all the pictures in one post...

 

[Celeste]

some more... babies too!!!

 

[featherbutt]

Are they trying to establish wild populations of century-old domestic strains? I don't see anything really "wrong" with it, but axolotls, imported from pet and laboratory stock, are part tiger salamander.
so really there's a non-indigenous, invasive species piggybacking in on genetics.
California has a similar problem with barred tigers hybridizing.

 

[John]

I am grateful to Celeste for posting this thread. However, I feel it necesary to point out that those axolotls have American Tiger Salamander DNA - they are not the same as the original wild-type axolotls from Xochimilco, so they can't be re-introduced to the wild to save the species. This would therefore seem to be a pointless exercise unless the only purpose of the facility is to do research on the axolotls themselves, which then seems to make its situation in Mexico simply coincidental.

Please share any insight you may have.

 

[John]

Mitch beat me to the punch - that'll teach me to open a page, leave the office and not refresh the page when I come back.

 

[doktordoris]

Your points fascinate me, chaps.

So how axolotl-ey are our axolotls?

And do our axolotl'ish axolotls look different to more axolotl-esque axolotls?

ta

 

[Celeste]

Ok, I was so excited I didnt think about axolotls part tiger salamander... I will try to contact the biologist and I hope I can get you an answer!

 

[Celeste]

Hi guys, I talked to the biologist, asked me to put her name like this, hope it makes sense (had to ask for help for the translation):

"People in charge of the project:

Teresita de Jesús Reyes Pérez (bachelor´s degree in biology): resourcers supplier/aquirer for the Governement of the State of Veracruz, responsible for technical matters.

Yolanda Hernández Canseco (architect) responsable for the infraestructure design and construction.

Teresita, whos thought the idea up, imlemented the system and followed up on this project would like to thank the Governor of the State of Veracruz Fidel Herrera Beltrán for his support without this project would never have been possible"

Ok, about the artificial lakes, she told me it is a long term situation (7 - 10 years), and that she would use imported axolotls with reinforced DNA from wild axolotls. Hope this make sense!!

 

[vladimere]

wow facinating been toying with the idea of starting our own farm but had no idea of what was involed but great to see the pictures

 

[axolotl nerd]

*me packing my bags to go visit and gather information for my own farm//sanctuary*