Newts or Salamanders in Aus?

[lisa]

Hiya, I was wondering if anyone knew of any species of salamander or newt that are allowed to be sold in australia? I already have 5 axolotls, and was doing some research into other species. I just don't want to get excited if I can't legally buy anything.
Any help would be appreciated.

 

[william]

i'm afraid axies are all your allowed

 

[joan]

For good reason. Just keep in mind the cane toad and the bunny rabbit. Sorry!

 

[william]

nor can i, but however much we could debate it it's not allowed...

in theory in the cooler south, an aquatic species could become rampant, e.g a siren species.

are zoos allowed them?

 

[mark]

What is the reasoning behind this law? It seems odd to allow only one specific caudate... a bit like saying you can sell hamsters but gerbils and mice are out of the question. When you consider how much damage domestic cats have done to the indigenous wildlife in Oz, domestic caudates surely pose little threat in comparison? and as Mike says, the environment is not suitable for escapees. Paranoia about disease perhaps?

 

[william]

no, i think they are just treating all amphibians as dangerous. axolotls are used for scientific research. but i don't know why they are also allowed into the pet trade as well.

 

[joan]

I merely pointed to the cane toad and the rabbit as reasons why Aus has cracked down on importing species. I didn't say caudates could take over.

I would venture to guess Axolotls are allowed for the reason that their physical structure limits their ability to spread. They're restricted to water. They rarely morph, so they wouldn't spread from pond to pond if one escaped/was released.

(Message edited by Joan on July 01, 2005)

 

[TJ]

There's also a concern there about dissemination of pathogens. Ranavirus infection and ranid herpesviruses are cited, for instance.

See:

http://www.daff.gov.au/corporate_do...releases/quarantine/archive/mrqweekaward8.htm

Guess they've had too many accidents in the past to be taking chances now. It's not unheard of for newts to become "invasive species" -- not that they're comparable to cane toads

Here's something else, from "Biosecurity Australia news" issued in November 2003:

<font color="0000ff">Biosecurity Australia recently reviewed Australia's amphibian import policy to ensure that zoos can safely import amphibians including frogs, toads, salamanders and newts.�gUntil now the only amphibians that were imported were African clawed frogs for research,�h said Biosecurity Australia�fs Jill Millan.�gNow there are two different sets of conditions for imports of amphibians and their eggs, one for imports for research and another for zoo imports.�hThe draft revised conditions were circulated to about 60 stakeholders for comment, including current and future importers, before being finalised."</font>

No mention of axoltls there, but certainly an African clawed frog would pose a greater environmental threat than a newt

(Message edited by TJ on July 01, 2005)

 

[mark]

Thanks Tim. Very interesting. Wouldn't fancy wearing python filled trousers myself

! One would think that with Papua New Guinea being so close, ranavirus would have already found it's way into Australia? I wonder how quickly it can cross from one species to another?

PS. No jokes about trouser snakes please... this is a family friendly site

(Message edited by aartse_tuyn on July 01, 2005)

 

[TJ]

Mike, ah, but with the clawed frogs, that's for research, not for the pet trade, so there are probably fairly stringent safeguards in place. Still, you'd think they'd be worried about axoltls (released pets) spreading pathogens as well, unless they're all locally bred.

Mark, hadn't even thought about that until you mentioned it

Australia...I was planning a trip to northern Queensland to photograph frogs, but seems it won't materialize...

 

[edward]

With a comment on pathogens, one of the major theories of chytrid dissemination worldwide is because it looks like chytrid is an endemic disease of Xenopus and the worldwide use of this frog world wide may have been the original transfer of the agent worldwide.

Mike is correct a lot of pathogens do not get established but more frequent an pathogen is allowed to escape the more likely it will get established.

Ed

 

[TJ]

Here's a list of amphibians approved for import into Australia, though none of them can be imported for household pets:

Andrias japonicus Japanese Giant Salamander
Eligible non-commercial purpose only, excluding household pets.
High security facilities only.

Dendrobates auratus Green and Golden Poison Arrow Frog
Eligible non-commercial purpose only, excluding household pets.
High security facilities only.

Dendrobates tinctorius Dyeing Poison Dart Frog
Eligible non-commercial purpose only, excluding household pets.
High security facilities only.

Litoria infrafrenata Giant Green Tree Frog
Eligible non-commercial purpose only, excluding household pets.
High security facilities only.

Philautus romeri Romers Tree Frog
Eligible non-commercial purpose only, excluding household pets.
High security facilities only.

Pyxicephalus adspersus adspersus African Bullfrog (southern subspecies)
Eligible non-commercial purpose only, excluding household pets.
Certified males over 14 cm snout-vent length only.
High security facilities only.

Taricha granulosa Rough Skinned Newt
Eligible non-commercial purpose only, excluding household pets.
High security facilities only.

Xenopus laevis South African Clawed Frog
Eligible non-commercial purpose only, excluding household pets.
High security facilities only.

source:

List of Specimens taken to be Suitable for Live Import
Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999

http://www.deh.gov.au/biodiversity/trade-use/lists/import/pubs/live-import-list.pdf

 

[william]

odd that it doesn't include ambystoma mexicanum on that list

 

[TJ]

William, I guess that means that axoltls are not allowed to be imported. I read something about the ones sold in Australian pet shops all being descended from a group of them that came in from France at some point.

In fact, axoltls are considered an invasive species there, or at least were at one time.

According to Fauna of Australia, "The Mexican axolotl, Ambystoma mexicanum, has been released in Tasmania. Its impact upon the native fauna has yet to be assessed."

source: http://www.deh.gov.au/biodiversity/abrs/publications/fauna-of-australia/pubs/volume2a/ar1ind.pdf

Ed, regarding the Chytrid problem in Australia, you may be interested in reading this paper:

Chytrid fungi and amphibian declines: Overview, implications and future directions
By Lee Berger, Rick Speare and Alex Hyatt

It spans pages 23-33 of the following PDF:

Declines and Disappearances of Australian Frogs
http://www.biodiversity.ea.gov.au/biodiversity/threatened/publications/pubs/frogs.pdf

It even mentions a case of Batrachochytrium found in a captive axoltl in Australia.

(Message edited by TJ on July 05, 2005)

 

[edward]

Hi Tim,
Thanks for the link.
Here is one you may be interested in reading
http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0GVK/is_12_10/ai_n8592189
(this one discusses the possibility that it originated in Xenopus).
It has long been theorized that the pet trade has been facilitating the spread of chytrid (and we have a lot of documented as well as anecdotal evidence (such as Bolitoglossa dolflini) so I am unsurprised at a listing of discovery in axolotls. It has recently been discovered in captive populations of aquatic caecilians (both Typhlonectes as well as Potomotyphlops) and is already known from Ambystoma tigrinum in the South-western USA and in 2002 from Pseudotrition ruber in South Carolina (see http://www.jcu.edu.au/school/phtm/PHTM/frogs/chyglob.htm )

Ed

 

[leah]

"Still, you'd think they'd be worried about axoltls (released pets) spreading pathogens as well, unless they're all locally bred."

Everything, and I mean EVERYTHING for sale in the pet trade here, is either a native species or was imported and bred here before the quarantine laws changed. It's 100% illegal to import or export live fish, reptiles, and amphibians, No exceptions- unless you hold a zoo license or special research permit. When I moved here I wanted to bring my two iguanas and box turtle, but couldn't

There is nothing available here that isn't locally bred. There are even some pretty tough restrictions on shipping things interstate within Australia. I didn't think you were allowed to have axolotls in Tasmania... I can remember someone posting in the axie section about this. Guess they don't check too carefully if they're out in the wild.

 

[edward]

The problem with some of the pathogens is that the animals do not need to be released to spread the pathogen. pathogens such as chytrid, rana and iridioviruses are readily spread via contaminated water sources and most septic systems/treatment plants are not set up to deal with these pathogens.

Ed