The Axolotl Diaries

[aclockworkorange]

I guess the Anderson's are also illegal in WA?

http://wdfw.wa.gov/ais/search.php?id=3&orderby=CommonName%20ASC

 

[aclockworkorange]

Yeah I don't want to hijack your thread, maybe we'll spin off a new one until we figure out what they are. They are for sure real and about 8". Your right about them being a different species. I can't believe how much I overpaid, doh! good job doing a little homework before you bought. Any thoughts on if you have boys, girls, both?

I don't know the growth rate on these guys... If they grow slowly, I think $50 for an adult in a retail setting probably isn't horribly over-priced.
Does anyone know the growth rates? I guess we will find out sooner or later from the OP...

 

[aclockworkorange]

Sorry!

 

[muffywrx]

Prime example of price gouging. They are hard to find in retail stores period. But easy to find from breeders, provided you want to pay shipping cost. Which can be reasonable (20-40$) or high ($70). But that's okay, as you didn't have to pay shipping cost I guess.

Decent growth rate, but not horribly fast.

 

[aeri]

Mine went from 3" to 9" in a span of 3-4 months.

 

[muffywrx]

I think an inch a month is common. Not too bad I guess that is normal for me since I have oscars. lol.

 

[aclockworkorange]

Inch a month is pretty fast IMO. I wonder if temperature affects growth rates too?

 

[aeri]

I'd guess no. Warm temperatures might slow down their growth due to stress though.

 

[muffywrx]

I'd guess no. Warm temperatures might slow down their growth due to stress though.

X2

plus the colder the slower the metabolism too. I'm guessing optimum around 60-65 as mentioned previously for growth.

 

[Noto]

Ok, I did the research. The more expensive species available locally Justin are NOT axolotls, they are known as Anderson's salamander, Echinotriton andersoni. They are closely related to axolotls, and they also live their entire live in the water (they don't turn into land dwellers). They are indeed bigger, so I feel good that I suggested you not put one in a 10 gallon.

The Anderson's salamander are Ambystoma andersoni, not Echinotriton (a distantly related salamander genus). There's at least one member on caudata.org who regularly sells c.b. A. andersoni.