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Axolotl Dreams

RandallRock

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A most peculiar event enfolded between my ears in the small hours of this most recent December Nineteenth, Day Nine thousand, Four hundred and Eighty Seven. I vaguely recall the details of an otherwise perfunctory day wherein I would have found myself doing little other than tending to my many, many axolotls. I successfully hatched Six hundred Eighty One larvae the previous Sunday. They were the resultant spawn of MtF2 "Little Momma" and WtM1 "Big Daddy" which means the clutch would consist of Wild types, Melanoids and Leucistics due to the specifics of their phenotype genes. For reasons not yet understood MtF1 "Big Momma "has failed to spawn and produce for me the albino stock I was hoping to acquire from her slightly varied genes. For this reason I decided to try and breed, for the first time, one of the axolotls that I had bred and raised to adulthood from the previous year. She was a Golden Albino and I put her and a male golden in a breeding tank in order to ensure a pure albino stock. I did this approximately Nine to Ten days before the aforementioned friday morning. It is important to note that on average two or three days go by between the introduction of the Axolotls and the presence of hundreds upon hundreds of eggs in the tank naturally anchored to the faux flora. I proceeded to wait day after day. I became dismayed and began to speculate about the health of the golden female axolotl. Leaving all to faith I went to sleep early Friday morning. And it was during that particular circadian event that I experienced my second Axolotl dream.
I was not myself. I was simply observing. I was observing a female axolotl deposting her eggs on the lengths of infinitly long strands of what appeared to be a thin, stringy species of what ever seaweeds freshwater cousin may be. This happened for an indeterminant amount of time. Granted it is a very bland and featureless dream. I've had these axolotls for almost two years now and they've become a significant part of my life. I breed them for commercial sale both wholesale and retail. To date I've hatched Nine clutches of eggs. At times I've had as many Five hundred juveniles in my care. I must commit myself to them daily in order to ensure a high success ratio. It's only natural that I might dream about them from time to time. I awoke and made my routine, daily cellar trek to feed my cats and check on the Six hundred Fifty or so larvae I know have. What I found was the breeding tank plants peppered with what appeared to be Five hundred small, gelatinous, transparent globules each housing newly developing albino embryos.
During the nights rest of early November Twenty-Third, year Two thousand Seven, day Nine thousand Eighty Three I was given my first axolotl dream. I was myself. I was sitting in the living room of the apartment I was staying in at the time. On my coffee table was a featureless, Grey-blue shoe-box shaped container. I reached for the strange item and drew it near and opened it. What I saw inside were my three original axolotls only they were all cleanly divided into many separate parts. What I awoke to find that morning apart from a fledgling and successful exotic salamander import/export/breeding business, apart from a positive, constructive hobby that helps to ensure the survival of a disappearing species, apart from a bizarre and unpredictable twist of fate I found several hundred axolotl eggs in my tank.
As I blinked I heard the grating of metal, beaded string draw against a plastic housing. The insides of my eye lids became bright red and the top of my head started to get warm ; ) 2/9

~Aaron
 

Jake

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. It is important to note that on average two or three days go by between the introduction of the Axolotls and the presence of hundreds upon hundreds of eggs in the tank naturally anchored to the faux flora. I proceeded to wait day after day. I became dismayed and began to speculate about the health of the golden female axolotl.

Normally 2-3 days is what I'd expect, but even the healthiest axolotls can go months together as a pair before they decide to spawn.

What I awoke to find that morning apart from a fledgling and successful exotic salamander import/export/breeding business, apart from a positive, constructive hobby that helps to ensure the survival of a disappearing species,

Captive breeding axolotls is a positive, constructive hobby, but it doesn't in any way ensure the survival of axolotls themselves. The captive population is actually a hybrid of two different species with similar physical characteristics. This makes them totally useless in the fight to save the 'true axolotls' in the wild.

Interesting dreams.
 

RandallRock

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Is It possible to acquire "True" Axolotls short of going to Mexico? You are referring to the IU experiment in which they crossed the Axolotl with a Tiger Salamander right?
 

Jake

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Is It possible to acquire "True" Axolotls short of going to Mexico?

Hobbiests can't get axolotls straight from Mexico. There are a few zoos that have the wild strain of axolotls.


You are referring to the IU experiment in which they crossed the Axolotl with a Tiger Salamander right?

Not only that, but it is possible there were neotenous tiger salamanders mixed in with the first group of axolotls sent to Paris.
 
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