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Old 23-10-2004, 06:40 AM   #1
axolotl88
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Default Axolotls-Guide to keeping

Note: This Amphibian salamender is protected under CITIES and in some countries requires special permit to keep them. You would have to apply for the permit with your country's ministry that monitor CITIES protected species

Scientific Name: Ambystoma mexicanum
Common Names: Water Dog, Mexican Walking Fish
Lifespan : 15 years

Introduction
Axolotls come in many colour varieties. Grey, tan, brown, white, golden albino, white albino, as well as other varieties, such as the black melanoid. The normally coloured or "wild type" can come in anything from near-black like the one in the group photo to the left, to chocolate brown like the one at the top left of the page, to almost cream in colour and anything in between.

The name "Axolotl" comes from the Aztec language "Nahuatl". A translation of this name connects the Axolotl with the God of deformation and death, Xolotl.
(Cool huh?)

Axolotls might be protected because they are near extinct in the rivers they live in however they are often use as lab animals because of their special regenerative system which allow them to regrow limbs. Axolotls are also interesting because of they stay in their larve stage through out their life and have the ability to breed in the larve stage. A term to discribe this is "perennibranchiate"

Axolotls can be forced to morph by soaking it in T4 thyroxine hormones however this greatly reduce their lifespan to about only 1 to 2 years
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