# salamanders



## nabu120 (Jan 25, 2010)

i saw some slamanders for sale in a fish shop today, it was the first time i had ever seen them for sale, im assuming there legal in aust then if this store was selling them?

was wondering if any one on here keeps them, and the husbandry involved cos they were pretty cool looking critters an im inerested now lol

cheers


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## Rankin_Keeper (Jan 25, 2010)

sure it wasnt a morphed axolotal?


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## nabu120 (Jan 25, 2010)

na man, was definetly a salamander, ive had axilotals, it was advertised as a salamander and i just looked online, looked a bit like a marbled salamander but diferent colors


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## Rankin_Keeper (Jan 25, 2010)

then its illeagle


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## GeckoJosh (Jan 25, 2010)

All salamanders that are sold in Aussies pet stores are morphed axolotals 
Any pet store that says otherwise is either misinformed or lying
The morphed axolotals are infertile, the only way to get them is by morphing axolotals by using a chemical process involving iodine and reducing water levels, the actual technique is not flawless and they get alot of deaths in the process.
If anyone has had success in personally morphing them please pm me
When morphed they look quite different to axolotals (spelling?)


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## chickensnake (Jan 25, 2010)

Arent axilottles the juvenile stage of a salemandar? And its illeagle to let them morph from the axilottle to the salamandar? They obviously would need natural conditions to morph, but this is what iv heard weather its true or not i dont know.


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## gecko-mad (Jan 25, 2010)

Yeah its just a morphed Axolotyl.


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## nabu120 (Jan 25, 2010)

interesting, 

in doing this do they loose the frilly bits around there head/neckline?

cos these were all smooth and colorfull, and looked almost exectly like the pics ive just seen online


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## chickensnake (Jan 25, 2010)

Fish lizards lol


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## GeckoJosh (Jan 25, 2010)

nabu120 said:


> interesting,
> 
> in doing this do they loose the frilly bits around there head/neckline?
> 
> cos these were all smooth and colorfull, and looked almost exectly like the pics ive just seen online


Yeah the frilly bit are their gills, they loose them as part of the morphing process
The axolotals in Oz cannot naturally morph, they can only morph if u force them too as i said earlier, morphing axolotals is *not* illegal
Generally they are available in the same colours as axolotals although white ones apparently dont morph as easily as the black ones


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## Gecko75 (Jan 25, 2010)

I don't see wha the fuss with axalotles is, they just look like a retarded long frog with a tail, plus half of them are albino and they have those dirty growths on the backs of the heads. I would much rather an actual frog.


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## nabu120 (Jan 25, 2010)

i just googled them, im guessing thats what they are, looks pretty simular, bit pricey than for a pimped out axilotal, they want $150


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## chickensnake (Jan 25, 2010)

Gecko75 said:


> I don't see wha the fuss with axalotles is, they just look like a retarded long frog with a tail, plus half of them are albino and they have those dirty growths on the backs of the heads. I would much rather an actual frog.


 
Some people enjoy axolottles, others dont. Some ppl cant have a frog but they can have an axolottle hence they will like axolottles not frogs or lizards. Some ppl like all of the obove, so you dont need to be rude about it. every one have different enjoyments


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## GeckoJosh (Jan 25, 2010)

Iv got a mate who not only has 30 odd species of frogs, but as well keeps morphed axos, i can see the appeal as they are really active compared to his frogs during the day, but id take any one of his frogs over the axos


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## nabu120 (Jan 25, 2010)

Geckoman123 said:


> Yeah the frilly bit are their gills, they loose them as part of the morphing process
> The axolotals in Oz cannot naturally morph, they can only morph if u force them too as i said earlier, morphing axolotals is *not* illegal
> Generally they are available in the same colours as axolotals although white ones apparently dont morph as easily as the black ones


 

yea these were black with yellow spots and patterns,

thats what made me think they were salamanders


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## GeckoJosh (Jan 25, 2010)

Yeah they very well could be as we get everything over here, but my money would still be on axos
When i first saw them in a pet shop the guy told me they were Salamanders not morphed axos, i must say he had me convinced


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## shane14 (Jan 25, 2010)

how would u keep a morphed axolotl?


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## GeckoJosh (Jan 25, 2010)

From what iv seen u need to keep them in a semi aquatic enclosure


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## shane14 (Jan 25, 2010)

Cool, i was going to buy axo's ages back but i ended buying a carpet.


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## Jay84 (Jan 25, 2010)

If they are black with yellow spots they sound like fire salamanders or tiger slamanders. Both are illegal as they are exotics (who knows why axolotyls are legal as they are also exotic?)

Both beautiful animals, while living in the UK i always wanted one, but bought an albino Argentinian Horned Frog instead lol


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## Rocket (Jan 25, 2010)

nabu, I'm assuming you are referring to those for sale at Fish Haven in Pooraka for $150 each?

I too have seen them, rather interesting looking creatures.


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## Jay84 (Jan 25, 2010)

Can we get some photos? If they are fire slamanders i want one!!! Rocket get down to that shop and buy them out for me!


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## Rocket (Jan 25, 2010)

Sure... no worries. However, on top of the cost of the animals and freight, you will be hit with a labour fee of $2000.


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## Jay84 (Jan 25, 2010)

Labour fee ???? its not that hard to carry some salamanders to the car!


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## Gobo (Jan 25, 2010)

here are 2 that i have had for a couple of years now. they are sold as 'salamanders' but i think in this case its just a term to distinguish them from the larval axolotl stage that are entirely aquatic.


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## nabu120 (Jan 25, 2010)

Rocket said:


> nabu, I'm assuming you are referring to those for sale at Fish Haven in Pooraka for $150 each?
> 
> I too have seen them, rather interesting looking creatures.


 
yea there the ones, looking into it tho im thinking there morphed axolotils as said earlier, if so thats pretty steep for something that wont repoduce, they look cool tho


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## HOM3L3SS (Jan 25, 2010)

how would u get axolotyls to morph into salamanders?
and dont axolotyls have those weird frilly things off there necks? cause the pics from gobo dont
Harry


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## Gobo (Jan 25, 2010)

as previously explained, hormone treatment or iodine added to the water may be what brings on metamorphosis in axoltls. consider an axolotl to be the equivalent of a tadpole in the case for frogs. as a tadpole grows and transforms, lung develop and the gills are absorbed into the body, just like in axolotls, those 'frilly' things are the gills, and are absorbed as lungs develop during metamorphosis into the adult stage hence why they are not seen in 'salamanders'


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## Namn8r (Jan 27, 2010)

Put your axo's in a pond outdoors with a screen cover and let the water evaporate naturally and they will morph....


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## Bricked (Mar 2, 2010)

axolotl


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## GeckoJosh (Mar 2, 2010)

Namn8r said:


> Put your axo's in a pond outdoors with a screen cover and let the water evaporate naturally and they will morph....


No they will die


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## GeckoJosh (Mar 2, 2010)

Bricked said:


> axolotl


Very informative Bricked


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## cosmicwolf4 (Mar 2, 2010)

nabu120 said:


> yea these were black with yellow spots and patterns,
> 
> thats what made me think they were salamanders


 
If they are the ones at Fish Haven, I'm pretty sure they are Fire Newts, I used to have some when I lived in Canada. They are legal to keep there and very interesting to watch. 
They are definately NOT axolotles, I've had those too and these are definately NOT them.


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## GeckoJosh (Mar 2, 2010)

What is a pet shop doing selling illegal exotics?


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## Guest (Mar 2, 2010)

the axolotl _Ambystoma mexicanum_ belongs to the tiger salamender family but can reproduce in the tadpole stage of its life! it very rarely (but can) changes into a salamender 
id say these were imported as axolotls iv seen them advertised a few times before


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