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Axolotls are illegal in California. Please read this thread for detailed information and links to the actual laws: https://www.caudata.org/threads/axolotls-are-illegal-in-california-here-are-the-relevant-laws.30779/
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Found a wild axolotl
- Thread starter dthomas
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Abrahm
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What you found was most certainly not an axoltol but instead a larval (very young) salamander. Axoltols are very rare in the wild and only live in one small lake of Mexico.
If you want really accurate care information it would be best if you could post a picture of the animal so it can be identified. I would imagine that it is more than likely a larval tiger salamander as these two animals are very closely related but it could easily be something else.
If you want really accurate care information it would be best if you could post a picture of the animal so it can be identified. I would imagine that it is more than likely a larval tiger salamander as these two animals are very closely related but it could easily be something else.
Abrahm
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It may look similar to an axolotl, but there are many animals that look nearly the same. I found this list of amphibians native to Kansas here. I'm guessing it is either in the mole salamander family (Ambystomatidae) or in the mudpuppy family (Proteidae.) By counting the toes on the back foot you can quickly tell which family it is from. If it has four toes it is a mudpuppy and if it has five it is a mole salamander larva.
Mudpuppies live in the water their whole life and information on their captive care can be found here. Mole salamanders, which in the case of Kansas would be the eastern tiger salamander, barred tiger salamander or smallmouth salamander, eventually metamorphose into a terrestrial salamander. This care sheet should have all the information to care for any of the mole salamanders you would have found.
All salamanders require cooler temperatures to truly thrive so if you can not provide temperatures of 70F or lower year round you should certainly think twice about keeping this animal.
Mudpuppies live in the water their whole life and information on their captive care can be found here. Mole salamanders, which in the case of Kansas would be the eastern tiger salamander, barred tiger salamander or smallmouth salamander, eventually metamorphose into a terrestrial salamander. This care sheet should have all the information to care for any of the mole salamanders you would have found.
All salamanders require cooler temperatures to truly thrive so if you can not provide temperatures of 70F or lower year round you should certainly think twice about keeping this animal.
Yep, check out the photo of a waterdog on the Ambystoma mavortium caresheet, which Abrahm gave a link to. It DOES look exactly like an axolotl. The important difference is that it will almost certainly go through metamorphosis and become a salamander.