Morphed Golden Albino

[Quetzacoatl]

Hello, there is a video of morphed golden albino axolotl from my friend. He posted it on the YouTube

http://cz.youtube.com/watch?v=g8T3s_F3g_M

 

[blueberlin]

Thanks for the video - neat to see one in "action".

-Eva

 

[Quetzacoatl]

...and there are some photos (taken by my friend Tomas Pater).



[URL=http://www.ukazto.com/?img=3812188~01x0h.jpg]




[/URL]http://www.ukazto.com/img/3812182~03mu5.jpg

 

[Andrew51]

Wow it really is incredible to see the difference between an axolotl and a morph. The process really is quite astounding

 

[blueberlin]

When I first got my axolotls I was, in my ignorance, terrified that they would morph. Looking at these photos, though, all I can think is how beautiful these axolotls are, too. I'd still be really mad after all the time I spent figuring out how to run an aquarium haha.

 

[Andrew51]

Just out of curiosity, what is it that causes an axolotl to morph?

*NOTE* For the record I'm not asking HOW to morph one, more as to why it happens

 

[blueberlin]

The examples I know are of intentional experimentation - an axolotl's genetics suppresses the production of a hormone that causes metamorphosis, so administering this hormone may cause it to metamorphose - or, in rare cases, due to prolonged, very bad environmental conditions. These axolotl morphs usually die not long after metamorphosis.

There are also crossbreeds with tiger salamanders that then go into spontaneous metamorphosis, but due to the (recent) crossbreeding with tigers, one might argue that these are no longer axolotls; that argument gets really sticky, though, when one starts discussing what a "pure" axolotl might be.

-Eva

 

[Andrew51]

Wow I didn't realize there was so much experimentation going on regarding axolotls until I started reading some threads. So the odds are in favour of my axolotl NOT morphing.... good.

Now with me being in Canada, seeing as it is so hard to get axolotls here, but tigers seem rather easy to obtain, do you think there is a greater chance that they may have been crossbred here so there can be higher sales?