Question: Earthworms and Iodine. please help!!!

[Mgrimson]

I have been recently informed that earthworms contain Iodine and that this will cause my axolotl to transform and I really shouldn't be feeding them except as a treat. I have been feeding my axies worms or over a year and they seem in great health which makes me dubious of this info. I have read the caudata info on axie feeding but would like someone who is more knowledgeable than myself to confirm that this is not true and that garden worms (UK) are perfectly safe as my axies staple food.

 

[auntiejude]

Where did you get this information from? You have been misinformed, and your 'friend' needs to be put straight.

The fact that hundreds of us have been feeding many thousands of worms to axolotls for dozens of years should be enough proof that they are safe, but my research says there is no more than a tiny trace of iodine in worms from uncontaminated sources.

 

[auntiejude]

check out this thread: http://www.caudata.org/forum/f46-be...-general-discussion/81727-why-earthworms.html

 

[xxianxx]

There is a belief by some German keepers of A.andersoni (another kind of axolotl to yours) that feeding earthworms can trigger morphing, I do not know if this is correct but feeding your axolotl earthworms is not a problem, it is infact a really good diet.

 

[xxianxx]

http://www.caudata.org/forum/f1173-...-mavortium-spp-etc/87630-andersoni-worms.html

 

[layna]

Those axies A.andersoni, look cute how come they are not common ones that pet owners would keep?
What makes them different?

 

[oceanblue]

A. andersoni are a different species from laboratory and pet axolotls which are A mexicanum and the lab derived strains of mexicanum have been selected for NOT morphing for 140 years.

Worms are a very good food for axolotls, they do not induce morphing. Iodine in high dose and even low doses of dietary thyroxine such as is present in most foods including worms has no effect.

I strongly advise continuing earthworms as the mainstay of a healthy diet.

 

[auntiejude]

I thought A. andersoni were much more prone to morphing anyway? Beautiful though, I'd love to take on a couple somewhere down the line.

They are hard to come by in the UK, and are generally much rarer, that why we don't see them as pets that often.

 

[snuggly time]

As the majority of axolotl owners on this forum probably feed earthworms to their axies I wouldn't worry. In fact this forum is very much for feeding earthworms as a staple diet. It's not common to see morphing axolotl threads on here. If earthworms did induce morphing I'm guessing there would be a lot more morphing threads around.. :happy: