Axolotl School

P

plush

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Yep, I'm homeschooling Epsilon, my Axolotl. Do you think Axolotls are smart enough to do fish tricks like the ones on This Site? I've already taught him that feeding wand = food I know he sees it and doesn't come for the er, fragrance, of the pellets because he walks to it even when there is no trace of the pellets. Even the one that has never touched a food item in its entire existence. By the way, I'm teaching him soccer. Trigonometry is a little hard.
 
That's not really 'training'. It's classic conditioning. Think of Pavlov's dog. It drooled when the bell rang because it associated the bell with food. Your axolotl comes because it associates the 'wand' with food, even if there is no food present.
 
just like mcdonalds and happy meals
happy.gif
(if youve seen supersize me youl understand=p)
 
there was a study developed by biologists for axies that were agressive they had a person 24 hours with a axie that was very agressive and every time the axie tried to bite on other axies he was repreended by a stick with cotton on the edge, and after a week he stopped to do that.
 
Again, not training but conditioning. "If I bite others, I get whacked with a stick". Sooner or later, you quit biting others because you don't want to be whacked with a stick.

In my belief, you can only train animals with a 'higher' conscious thought. Dogs and cats have more highly developed brains, memories, etc, and can be 'trained' to do tricks, even on command. They may be motivated by 'making the owner happy'. Axolotls only have the motivation of food and self-preservation.

(Message edited by Joan on April 20, 2006)
 
First, start your own thread. Then offer them for sale on the board. Or feed them to the parents.
 
Denise, You might have more luck advertising in the For Sale, Giveaway or Trade area, under the Advertisement section of Caudata.org Forum Newt and Salamander Forum (sorry not sure how to post a link here)
 
Mmm... let's see,

train: to form by instruction, discipline, or drill.

condition: to modify so that an act or response previously associated with one stimulus becomes associated with another.

source- m-w.com

One's a simpler form of another. Anyway, my original question wasn't answer'd. Put simply, can they be 'conditioned' to do the same silly tricks as fish? Like push a soccer ball without eating it? (won't fit in his mouth at present, anyway.)
 
You can't TELL your axolotl what to do and it does it. This is instruction.

I doubt you can condition your axolotl to play soccer. You may be able to use food and get it to push around a ball once in a while, but I doubt it. And it won't 'remember' that it needs to push the ball to get food, and will go after food first.
 
my axolotls have decided of their own accord to use a large shell as their private latrine. now that is smart....
 
Hihihiii. Please keep us posted on how your axie training is going. I wouldn't know where to start! My mum keeps nagging at me for not training Axelina, as she thinks Axelina is so intelligent, and would be easy to teach her things with food as a reward
 
i'd love to teach them to wave. my nephew asked if they can pick up food with their fingers- not that would be clever.
 
HA wouldnt that be cute!

i dont think axies have the 'brains' to be able to learn tricks ie roll over on command of you putting your hand in the water or something. everything they do theyll do for survival IMO, whether it be flight from predators or just wanting food.
 
Just off the topic a bit, but does anybody know how long the memory is for an axie? I know goldfish only have a 3 second memory, but i never knew if they worked it out for an axie. I dont think axie's are intelligent as such, but they do have some sort of developed brain. My axie will follow me if i walk to one end of the tank he will walk over to me. He doesnt do this with anybody else. If you look at him from the top of the water he thinks he is getting fed so he stands on his back legs/tail and puts his front legs against the glass like he is begging. If he is really hungry he will swim vertically to the top and try to nibble your fingers if they are in the water. So for him to remember who I am he must have at least a small brain.
 
It would be interesting to feed them in one particular spot and then see if they go to that spot then you appear?
 
Goldfish certainly do not have a 3 second memory...how would they test it anyway? I've talked with the guy who runs that sight and he claims that the fish can remember the tricks for at least a few weeks...though they will be rusty.

The general consensus seems that amphibians are not very smart...but they have to be able to contend with fish.

If you try, I'd be interested in the results. I know my newts are conditioned(trained? LOL) to associate water movement or tapping on the lid as food. They immediately start swimming around and nipping at each other and the bottom.
 
joan said:
Again, not training but conditioning. "If I bite others, I get whacked with a stick". Sooner or later, you quit biting others because you don't want to be whacked with a stick.

In my belief, you can only train animals with a 'higher' conscious thought. Dogs and cats have more highly developed brains, memories, etc, and can be 'trained' to do tricks, even on command. They may be motivated by 'making the owner happy'. Axolotls only have the motivation of food and self-preservation.

(Message edited by Joan on April 20, 2006)
Click to expand...
i know its been 14 years but axolotls are smarter then dogs and cats i think.but in treats it is different but i have seen people teach axolotls tricks
 
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