Wards natural science?

[Srkoe]

Has anyone ordered an Axie from here? If so, would you suggest them or not? How big and in what kind of condition was your axie in? Thanks!

 

[Hunter9]

i'm not an expert but i checked out the web site for this place. its biological supply- that means that the animals are most likely to be wild caught. wild caught animals normaly arn't in the best of shape. it's different with the axolotol tho. they are almost extinct in the wild so these are most likely captive bred. that being said, they were probably bred in labratory conditions. they basicly keep them in 1 gallon jars- so not the best conditions for an adult axie( or any axe for that matter). even if they weren't kept in these conditions; i wouldnt risk it. so i recomend getting an axie from a reputable breed here on the forum. G'day

 

[Nathan050793]

I've ordered other caudates (but not axolotls) from Wards and they seem to be pretty "hit or miss." You would be much better off finding axolotls from a breeder here on the forum. There are usually tons of ads for them in the "For Sale" section, although you'll have more luck in the spring.

Good Luck!

 

[Jennewt]

Try using the forum Search. I think there have been various experiences reported.

Axolotls are never wild-caught, but I would expect all of their other amphibians would be.

 

[Molch]

I've ordered earthworms and equipment from them - nice friendly customer service, but they are blissfully clueless about their animals. They shipped earthworms packed with heat packs - which meant the first shipment arrived dead and stinky (they replaced it but still...).

With live orders they send along a cd containing care sheets for all the live animals they sell and those, for the most part, are woefully inadequate. The care sheet for earthworms lumped all worms together and made no distinction between Lumbricus and the compost species. Their care sheet for Notophthalmus viridescens (which they sell as wild-caughts) showed a picture of an utterly emaciated newt that was probably hours from death.

So no...I wouldn't do them for anything alive. Their customer service and shipping for dry goods is top-notch, however.

 

[happycamper]

DON"T DO IT!

Wards is where I got my poor little axie, and boy was he is BAD shade when I got him

Really thin, missing all his feet and 2 legs, his tail fin is fused to his body... all around sad.
He has grown his legs back and gained weight, but his tail fin is still fused.

They sent it to me shipped with a heating pad as well. Poor little guy... I have been nursing him back to health for a couple months

 

[schr0eder]

I got my axolotl from them at the beginning of this summer. When he arrived he was a touch on the small side and probably a touch to young, his back legs were not 100% fully formed. That being said he was in good health and ate pellets readily. When I got him he was around 2 inches now, about 4 months later he is between 6 and 7 inches. However I would not order from them in any extreme weather conditions, my guy arrived with out an icepack.
At my school axolotls are bred and raised in labratory conditions, and while they might not be award winning in any respect, they grow into normal sized adults, most of them about 10 inches.