The mutant strains and Such

[shorty59mm]

Are the mutant and disorders prevalent mainly in the axolotls that are kept and bred, as pets or for experimental research? Is there so much variety in the wild type Axolotls? I'm doing a project for AP bio...hope someone can help. Please just email me

 

[jennifer]

The mutant colors of axolotls are common only because of selective breeding. They are just like "white mice" (and other mutants) used in labs and kept as pets. You might find one-in-a-million albino axolotls (or mice) in the wild, but it would be a VERY rare find. I don't know whether axolotl color mutants have been bred primarily by people interested in them as pets, or people breeding them for research. That's an interesting question.

 

[fra]

axolotls was one of the most important biological model for studies in developmental biology. Mutant colors were selected during these researches (as far as I know, during studies on neural crest-cell migration, which include melanophores).
One of these mutant colors, the ALBINO, was selected during cross-breeding and genetic experiments between Ambystoma mexicanum and Ambystoma tigrinum.
I believe that the interest in mutant axolotls as pets has come after.

You can find more information on mutant genes and strains at the Indiana University:
http://www.indiana.edu/~axolotl/axolotls/strains.html#general
http://www.indiana.edu/~axolotl/axolotls/mutantslist.html