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FYI: Very strange Axolotl color morph...

oceanblue

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Re: 'Pirate Gary' Update...

It's wrong in human terms but if you think you may have an unusual recessive gene you wish to create a stable line of this is the way to do it.
 

Jake

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It's wrong in human terms but if you think you may have an unusual recessive gene you wish to create a stable line of this is the way to do it.

This is true, but look at captive axolotls in general. How many gold albino axolotls live in the wild?

I'm pretty sure it's not a recessive gene, but it might be interesting to see what comes out of it.

What has become of Gary's albino sibling from the second spawning? Did this animal show any mottling, even a small spots of pigment?

The fact that Gary's mother produced a single albino offspring should tell us something. What if there is a gene or combination of genes that causes an increase incidence of nondisjuction during mitosis? If this were the case, your animal(s) would be invaluable to science. Alot of what we learn about the inner working of the cell comes from comparing what is normal to that which is abnormal.


The albino is living in Chicago now, I don't talk to the guy who has it now, but it looked like a perfectly normal albino axolotl. There was no evidence of pigment on it.
 

Jake

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Well, tonight around midnight I found Pirate laying eggs, so she's definitely a female. Here are some pics of the proud mother:

picture.php

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...and the proud father/baby's daddy:
picture.php
 

Kerry1968

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Lovely pictures, thank you for sharing. Good luck with the new brood, wonder if there'll be any mini-Pirates?
 

oceanblue

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Congratulations. Are the eggs variable in colour possibly indicating ovarian chimerism? Do they look like any old batch of eggs from a normal axolotl or are they a bit different? I dare not venture an opinion as I've not seen new laid axolotl eggs myself yet!

Whatever you get will be interesting.
 

John

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What's most interesting to me is that these eggs are not a/a eggs, proving Pirate is not an albino.

Addendum: just to qualify what I meant, the eggs are dark pigmented, which means they did not come from an albino female. This does not mean the offspring couldn't turn out to be a/a, just that mother is not a/a.
 

Jake

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Congratulations. Are the eggs variable in colour possibly indicating ovarian chimerism? Do they look like any old batch of eggs from a normal axolotl or are they a bit different? I dare not venture an opinion as I've not seen new laid axolotl eggs myself yet!

Whatever you get will be interesting.

They look like normal axolotl eggs.

What's most interesting to me is that these eggs are not a/a eggs, proving Pirate is not an albino.

Addendum: just to qualify what I meant, the eggs are dark pigmented, which means they did not come from an albino female. This does not mean the offspring couldn't turn out to be a/a, just that mother is not a/a.

I was curious to see what color eggs she'd lay myself (or if 'she' was even a female!). She carries the albino gene because her father is a white albino. The fact that her father is the father of the eggs, there should definitely be some albinos in there, and I'm going to assume for now the rest will either be leucistic or wild-type, but we'll see.
 

John

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The fact that her father is the father of the eggs, there should definitely be some albinos in there, and I'm going to assume for now the rest will either be leucistic or wild-type, but we'll see.
That'll be somewhat controversial with many axolotl enthusiasts here but I think a planned inbreeding like this for a purpose makes sense.
 

Jake

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That'll be somewhat controversial with many axolotl enthusiasts here but I think a planned inbreeding like this for a purpose makes sense.

I had a feeling that it might be controversial. On the other hand, if any other axolotl addict thinks I'm sick for inbreeding they're definitely a hypocrite. Captive bred axolotls are the definition of inbred;)

If nothing unusual comes from this first group of offspring I'll possibly cross the pair one more time in about 4 months. After that if Pirate is still the only unique axolotl, I'll stop the father/daughter crosses.
 

Jake

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Wow I would kill for one of the offspring no matter what color they come out xD Pirate is a doll and her mate is pretty as well.

Her mate is her dad, that's where she gets half of her good looks, it's all in the family;)
 

Jake

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Just a quick update. Most of the eggs are fertile, looking like wild-types, leucsitic and maybe albino? There were a lot of twins triplets and up to 8 embryos in one membrane, I'll try to post pics.
 

katis

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What? no more updates? Reading this for the first time and I'm in love with Pirate and got sucked into her life like a soap opera....

more please Jake...
 

Jake

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What? no more updates?

Well, Pirate's babies are alive and well. There were no abnormal babies in her first clutch, but maybe next time. I managed to find 5 more babies that are similar to Pirate, but not any of her offspring.
 

Jake

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This is how we are. We hope for freaky babies. :p

Did you happen to get pictures of her developing eggs?

-Eva
I did get a few pics of the developing eggs, especially multiple embryos in the same membrane, but I need to dig through my pictures to find them.
 
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