Hey...you kids wanna see some salamanders?
Feb 15, 2023 22:53:44 GMT -8
Artemis, BEAST, and 1 more like this
Post by CollieflowersBark on Feb 15, 2023 22:53:44 GMT -8
I run a rescue for axolotls that have morphed into terrestrial salamanders. If you know anything about axolotls, you know that this...isn't really supposed to happen! Read my explanation below and follow along for pictures of my rescue crew. I love sharing pictures of my little guys and teaching people about them. If you have any questions, feel free to ask! I would be happy to answer.
Morphed axolotl explanation
The salamanders shown here are axolotls that have morphed into a terrestrial form VIA a rare genetic condition that affects their thyroid function.*
The Why: Axolotls are a paedomorphic salamander species, which means that they have evolved to keep their larval bodies throughout adulthood. As they near the end of their larval growth period, (around 6-10 months of age) their thyroid stops sending out growth hormones that would otherwise, at this point, tell them to morph. In the case of a morphing axolotl, the thyroid never stopped, and their bodies subsequently morphed into their "final" form, much like a tiger salamander.
The What: During this process, the salamander undergoes many physical changes! They develop eyelids and a tongue and their lungs expand three times their original size, while gills shrink into the gill slits, which then disappear entirely! Their leg bones shorten and widen, their skin loses its slime coat and becomes thicker and changes color, and their jaw bones fuse together. They can now bear their own weight on land, and their digging instinct takes over. They start burying themselves in dirt and digging burrows to live in.
The Who: Currently, there are almost forty morphed axolotls in my care. All but one of them are rescues, many from dire conditions with owners who did not know how to care for them properly. Almost all of them are up for adoption, and many are preparing at this time to go to educational homes with zoos, museums, and children's programs.
Gollum
Nyx
Bocconcini
Taleggio
Grated Cheez
Melted Cheez
Halloumi
Charcoal Cheez
Stoic The Vast
SoBe
Mushu
Wixel-Flint
And the coppers, who arrived in October! There are THIRTY of them! They are almost all adopted and set to go to educational homes in the spring. I am excited to share that they will be going to zoos, educational social media rescues and programs, children's programs with the SPCA, and even a few museums! They will be doing their part to teach people about why axolotls morph and how to prevent it with ethical breeding practices in the future.
Why I Share: Morphed axolotls are difficult to care for because there are virtually no guides on the matter. All information found is contradictory and sometimes even harmful. Most metamorphs die due to improper care and misinformation. I am aiming to change that one day at a time by sharing what I learn about these amazing, rare creatures.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Don't morphed axolotls have shorter lifespans?
I have met many people who have 8,10, and in one case even a 13 year old morphed axolotls. Gollum is currently 5. While the odds are stacked against most morphed axolotls due to lack of proper information, I believe that with diligent care, there is nothing stopping them from living a long and happy life.
I thought morphed axolotls were forced with chemicals or poor water conditions!
I've interviewed a lot of owners and breeders to try to get the bottom of this. What I've found is that some axolotls are genetic carriers for this rare trait, and when they pass it along, an unsuspecting owner ends up buying an axolotl that is predisposed to morph at around 6-10 months of age. No owner is forcing their animal to morph with chemicals, and they're much more likely to die from poor water conditions than they are to morph.
Can morphed axolotls breed?
We're still not quite sure why, but it is very difficult to get morphed axolotls to breed. They can still produce sperm and eggs, but even scientists have documented that it is very, very difficult to actually get offspring from them. We have, however, just had our own morphed axolotls breed, so it IS possible!
Should a carrier parent be retired?
Yes! If an axolotl's offspring start morphing, it should absolutely be retired from the breeding pool to prevent further "oopses." Axolotls are not meant to morph. On an evolutionary scale, they decided that they were better equipped living in the water. They "shelved" their inefficient terrestrial bodies for a stronger form - It was no accident! Ethically, they should not pass this "faulty" trait along.
Can morphed axolotls regenerate?
Yes, but their regeneration ability is severely faulted and almost always results in a deformity. I have several who have slightly deformed limbs or tails from losing parts before they were rescued.
Are morphed axolotls hybridized with tiger salamanders?
Yes...kind of. They are not hybrids in the sense of "two parents made a baby." They were mixed together in a lab setting in the 1950s by implanting the nucleus of a tiger salamander into the cells of an embryonic axolotl to give axolotls the tiger salamander's albino genes. Direct, hybridized crossings couldn't survive, but these DNA mixes thrived and were then crossed back to axolotls again and again until they were nearly "pure" again...with a new, added albino feature built in.
I thought morphed axolotls lived on land!
They do! They are still amphibians, however, and many of mine still enjoy swimming. Quite often they spend their nights in their shallow pool and their days burrowing on land.
This is their habitat! It is 120 gallons, 4 ft long, and 2 ft deep.
EXTRAS I'VE PUT TOGETHER
Care Guide
Detailed Morphing Explanation
Instagram
Support Group For Owners
Compilation of Scientific Documents Including Regeneration Studies, Morphing Changes, Behavior Studies, Feeding, Etc.
And here is some picture spam of a few of my rescues! More to come, let me know if you found this interesting!
Wixel-Flint
Tango
Stoic
SoBe
Halloumi
(AKA the crackhead outside of the gas station that you try to avoid eye contact with)
Morphed axolotl explanation
The salamanders shown here are axolotls that have morphed into a terrestrial form VIA a rare genetic condition that affects their thyroid function.*
The Why: Axolotls are a paedomorphic salamander species, which means that they have evolved to keep their larval bodies throughout adulthood. As they near the end of their larval growth period, (around 6-10 months of age) their thyroid stops sending out growth hormones that would otherwise, at this point, tell them to morph. In the case of a morphing axolotl, the thyroid never stopped, and their bodies subsequently morphed into their "final" form, much like a tiger salamander.
The What: During this process, the salamander undergoes many physical changes! They develop eyelids and a tongue and their lungs expand three times their original size, while gills shrink into the gill slits, which then disappear entirely! Their leg bones shorten and widen, their skin loses its slime coat and becomes thicker and changes color, and their jaw bones fuse together. They can now bear their own weight on land, and their digging instinct takes over. They start burying themselves in dirt and digging burrows to live in.
The Who: Currently, there are almost forty morphed axolotls in my care. All but one of them are rescues, many from dire conditions with owners who did not know how to care for them properly. Almost all of them are up for adoption, and many are preparing at this time to go to educational homes with zoos, museums, and children's programs.
Gollum
Nyx
Bocconcini
Taleggio
Grated Cheez
Melted Cheez
Halloumi
Charcoal Cheez
Stoic The Vast
SoBe
Mushu
Wixel-Flint
And the coppers, who arrived in October! There are THIRTY of them! They are almost all adopted and set to go to educational homes in the spring. I am excited to share that they will be going to zoos, educational social media rescues and programs, children's programs with the SPCA, and even a few museums! They will be doing their part to teach people about why axolotls morph and how to prevent it with ethical breeding practices in the future.
Why I Share: Morphed axolotls are difficult to care for because there are virtually no guides on the matter. All information found is contradictory and sometimes even harmful. Most metamorphs die due to improper care and misinformation. I am aiming to change that one day at a time by sharing what I learn about these amazing, rare creatures.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Don't morphed axolotls have shorter lifespans?
I have met many people who have 8,10, and in one case even a 13 year old morphed axolotls. Gollum is currently 5. While the odds are stacked against most morphed axolotls due to lack of proper information, I believe that with diligent care, there is nothing stopping them from living a long and happy life.
I thought morphed axolotls were forced with chemicals or poor water conditions!
I've interviewed a lot of owners and breeders to try to get the bottom of this. What I've found is that some axolotls are genetic carriers for this rare trait, and when they pass it along, an unsuspecting owner ends up buying an axolotl that is predisposed to morph at around 6-10 months of age. No owner is forcing their animal to morph with chemicals, and they're much more likely to die from poor water conditions than they are to morph.
Can morphed axolotls breed?
We're still not quite sure why, but it is very difficult to get morphed axolotls to breed. They can still produce sperm and eggs, but even scientists have documented that it is very, very difficult to actually get offspring from them. We have, however, just had our own morphed axolotls breed, so it IS possible!
Should a carrier parent be retired?
Yes! If an axolotl's offspring start morphing, it should absolutely be retired from the breeding pool to prevent further "oopses." Axolotls are not meant to morph. On an evolutionary scale, they decided that they were better equipped living in the water. They "shelved" their inefficient terrestrial bodies for a stronger form - It was no accident! Ethically, they should not pass this "faulty" trait along.
Can morphed axolotls regenerate?
Yes, but their regeneration ability is severely faulted and almost always results in a deformity. I have several who have slightly deformed limbs or tails from losing parts before they were rescued.
Are morphed axolotls hybridized with tiger salamanders?
Yes...kind of. They are not hybrids in the sense of "two parents made a baby." They were mixed together in a lab setting in the 1950s by implanting the nucleus of a tiger salamander into the cells of an embryonic axolotl to give axolotls the tiger salamander's albino genes. Direct, hybridized crossings couldn't survive, but these DNA mixes thrived and were then crossed back to axolotls again and again until they were nearly "pure" again...with a new, added albino feature built in.
I thought morphed axolotls lived on land!
They do! They are still amphibians, however, and many of mine still enjoy swimming. Quite often they spend their nights in their shallow pool and their days burrowing on land.
This is their habitat! It is 120 gallons, 4 ft long, and 2 ft deep.
EXTRAS I'VE PUT TOGETHER
Care Guide
Detailed Morphing Explanation
Support Group For Owners
Compilation of Scientific Documents Including Regeneration Studies, Morphing Changes, Behavior Studies, Feeding, Etc.
And here is some picture spam of a few of my rescues! More to come, let me know if you found this interesting!
Wixel-Flint
Tango
Stoic
SoBe
Halloumi
(AKA the crackhead outside of the gas station that you try to avoid eye contact with)
