Question: Compatibitlity

[Birthdayboy]

Hi
I'm not about to try this or anything, but I was just wondering. Has anyone ever kept an axolotl and an andersoni together, and did it work. I've heard that it is posible for them to hybridize, which would be bad? If the ofpring were fertil they might ad some healthy variation to the axolotl genome. Anyway I'm just curious.

 

[chuckieee]

i always thought they were the same.

whats the diference between an axolotyl and an andersoni?

 

[dragonlady]

Andersoni and axolotls are very similar and are kept pretty much the same way. Andersoni do get larger than axolotls and their color is a bit different. Andersoni do not have the color variants like axolotls. Andersoni do seem more prone to morphing than axolotls. I believe this is due mainly to poor husbandry, but am still learning about these myself. This is not to say that morphing is a common occurrence at all, just that Andersoni have been documented doing so more often.

Personally, I would not keep these together, if for no other reason than to prevent possible breeding. I am about to acquire a couple of Andersoni for their beauty and uniqueness. It would be very unfortunate to lose the andersoni in their true form and there are enough variants in the axolotl line as is.

 

[Abrahm]

Hi
I'm not about to try this or anything, but I was just wondering. Has anyone ever kept an axolotl and an andersoni together, and did it work. I've heard that it is posible for them to hybridize, which would be bad? If the ofpring were fertil they might ad some healthy variation to the axolotl genome. Anyway I'm just curious.

You do not want to hybridize an axolotl with an Ambystoma andersoni. These are two distinct species and to interbreed them reduces the integrity of the two species. People that are trying to keep the animals as close to their true source as possible may acquire one of your hybrid offspring and begin interbreeding.

If I remember correctly, A. andersoni is currently listed as threatened so great care should be taken to ensure that the wild genetic lines are carried on in captivity.

i always thought they were the same.

whats the diference between an axolotyl and an andersoni?

A. andersoni and A. mexicanum (the axolotl) are two distinct species. They are from different lakes and geographic areas and do not interbreed in the wild.

 

[Mac Myers]

Shannon and Abrahm are correct. The A. andersoni are rare in the hobby, incredibly beautiful as a species and should not be interbred for any reason. In fact..... I'm of the opinion that at this stage they shouldn't really be kept by anyone other than an experienced keeper and breeder (Hi Shannon!). :happy:

 

[Birthdayboy]

When I said "healthy variation" I didn't mean a new color. I just figured it might be good for the axolotl poplulation because they are so inbred. Now I realize though that it might just make it worse. I agree that the andersoni should be kept pure as a species, it would be a horrible lose them.

 

[Birthdayboy]

Abram- I was wondering what you meant by loss of integrity. I was thinking the new genes would create a healthier animal, hybrid vigor and all that.

Also just reminding everyone I'm not going to try this, I'm just curious. I know this can be a sensative topic.

 

[Abrahm]

I meant integrity of the genetics of the wild species. Axolotls are already hybridized with tiger salamanders and aren't a true representation of their wild forbears. A. andersoni are still the same animals that are living in the wild.

While hybrid vigor is something that can pop up naturally or be used to our advantage in domesticated animals I don't feel it's something we should be promoting in amphibians. Simply put A. andersoni and the axolotl cannot interbreed in the wild. There is no way for them to hybridize until the Mexican basin floods and becomes one large lake where the two populations can now mingle.

Keeping the species as close to the wild genotype as possible allows us to appreciate the habitat and pressures that produced the axolotl or Anderson's salamander in the first place. Genetic diversity in captive populations should be kept with careful monitoring of breeding stock and by using studbooks to track lineages.

One of the great things about evolution is that it is always working. Anderson's salamander and the axolotl are two species that may still be in the process of speciation. With enough time these two animals will become divergent enough populations where interbreeding would be impossible.