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laura
Guest
Here are some new pictures of Axle. I am pleased to say that he has started eating again after stopping for about 3 weeks.
Laura
Laura
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Axolotls are illegal in California. Please read this thread for detailed information and links to the actual laws: https://www.caudata.org/threads/axolotls-are-illegal-in-california-here-are-the-relevant-laws.30779/
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carl
Guest
where are his gills
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laura
Guest
They have always been very sparse, along with those of his relatives. Also, the filaments he did have degenerated a lot while he was off his food recently.
He is 13 years old and takes a lot of air at the surface.
Laura
He is 13 years old and takes a lot of air at the surface.
Laura
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rheann
Guest
Older axies tend to have smaller gills don't they? Good O' Axie, he's almost as old as my cat! We get really attatched to our animals, us humans do. I still really like that little axolotl house you made for him. I can tell Axie is really taken nicely cared for. Let us know how he does ^_^
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laura
Guest
Thank you, Rheann. I was just refreshing my memory by re-reading the anatomy section in Peter Scott's book on axolotls. He says that 'exuberant plumose gills are not required for old animals...in time gills seem to atrophy and the animals obtain most of their requirement for oxygen through the lungs and by cutaneous respiration'.
That describes Axle very well!
Laura
That describes Axle very well!
Laura
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ros
Guest
It appears to me as though he is metamorphosing
http://www.indiana.edu/~axolotl/axolotls/shortguide/terrestrial.html#appearance
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laura
Guest
Thank you for your comments, Ros. I see where you're coming from about the metamorphosing. Some of his features do fit in with what they describe in the link. However, his eyes haven't changed and neither has his skin. He did go through a phase of seeming to try to climb out of his tank. He lives in a huge underbed storage crate which is not much taller than the water level itself. This meant that he could pull himself up out of the water in the corners of the tank. I don't know if this is significant. He hasn't done it for a while. What do you think?
Laura
Laura
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hayley-jane
Guest
aww he looks like a gentle old man
Laura do you want him to metamorphasise or would you prefer him as he is?
Laura do you want him to metamorphasise or would you prefer him as he is?
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ros
Guest
Laura, I read all your posts before they disappeared. I'll post the site addie - John Clare's notes re Metamorphosed Axolotls & Tiger Salamanders again just in case it's required;
http://www.axolotl.org/tiger_salamander.htm
You asked, what can you do if your axolotl is metamorphosing? Please keep in mind that I'm not certain this is occuring to Axle, ok Laura...
However, seeing as how his gills are sparse & you wrote that he takes alot of air at the surface, I think it would best to just ensure that something is placed in the middle of the tank so as Axle can get up easily to breathe from the surface when he needs to, also give him the food he enjoys &
him.
I couldn't find any info re sequence of stages axolotls go through - metamorphosising ( basically because it rarely occurs spontainiously I guess ) however, people working at the Indianna University have been doing alot of research, etc. - axolotls over the years. I found the following site which notes changes that occur to axolotls - metamorphosis. The aim of the study was to explore the induction of metamorphosis in the Mexican axolotl salamander, Ambystoma mexicanum. The hypothesis for this experiment was that if the axolotls would undergo metamorphosis if exposed to thyroxine. Axolotls have been used in metamorphosis research studies because they do not naturally experience metamorphosis yet it can be induced, which can be controlled.
http://www.wiu.edu/users/mfb100/axolotlmain.htm
If Axle is metamorphosising any changes will be more obvious during the next few weeks.
Please let us know either way, ok Laura.
Regards, Ros.
http://www.axolotl.org/tiger_salamander.htm
You asked, what can you do if your axolotl is metamorphosing? Please keep in mind that I'm not certain this is occuring to Axle, ok Laura...
However, seeing as how his gills are sparse & you wrote that he takes alot of air at the surface, I think it would best to just ensure that something is placed in the middle of the tank so as Axle can get up easily to breathe from the surface when he needs to, also give him the food he enjoys &
I couldn't find any info re sequence of stages axolotls go through - metamorphosising ( basically because it rarely occurs spontainiously I guess ) however, people working at the Indianna University have been doing alot of research, etc. - axolotls over the years. I found the following site which notes changes that occur to axolotls - metamorphosis. The aim of the study was to explore the induction of metamorphosis in the Mexican axolotl salamander, Ambystoma mexicanum. The hypothesis for this experiment was that if the axolotls would undergo metamorphosis if exposed to thyroxine. Axolotls have been used in metamorphosis research studies because they do not naturally experience metamorphosis yet it can be induced, which can be controlled.
http://www.wiu.edu/users/mfb100/axolotlmain.htm
If Axle is metamorphosising any changes will be more obvious during the next few weeks.
Please let us know either way, ok Laura.
Regards, Ros.