No gills?:(

[ZOExotic]

Why doesn’t he have gills? Is there something wrong? How can I fix?

 

[JM29]

Hi,
Looks like a morphing tiger salamander.

 

[ZOExotic]

Hi,
Looks like a morphing tiger salamander.

So is he supposed to change? I was told he was a Axolotl

 

[JM29]

This individual is morphing. Its gills are reducing, but you also can see its eyes more prominent, its mouth opening becomes larger and its colours are no more the colours of a paedomorphic one.
Wether it is an axolotl or a tiger doesn't change anything.

You can prepare a terrestrial setup.

 

[ZOExotic]

Should I offer him land to live on? What’s got me most worried
Is I’ve heard that morphing kills most axolotls.

 

[JM29]

I'm not convinced it's really an axolotl.
Have a look at axolotl.org
At the bottom of the home page, there is a picture of a morphed axolotl.

 

[axolotl nerd]

Should I offer him land to live on? What’s got me most worried
Is I’ve heard that morphing kills most axolotls.

he defintely is not an axolotl. he looks to be a tiger salamander, which is a species that naturally morphs into terrestrial animals. offer him land immediately, because tiger salamanders can drown if not able to leave the water

 

[ZOExotic]

he defintely is not an axolotl. he looks to be a tiger salamander, which is a species that naturally morphs into terrestrial animals. offer him land immediately, because tiger salamanders can drown if not able to leave the water

Ok! Thank you all for the help I’ll try and give them some land as soon as possible

 

[Autistic Catholic]

Who did you purchase from? Did you get him as one of those baby dinosaurs? There is no way this an axolotl. It's another type of mole salamander. Sadly, many people mislabel mole salamander larvae of other species as axolotls not knowing the difference. Axolotls are neotenic mole salamanders. Tiger salamander is a name given to numerous species of mole salamanders.

Information regarding the seller and what he is marketed as would be helpful. Yes, you should look into creating a paludarium that is half-land and half-water for him. Even if he is an axolotl (which he clearly is not!), he is still undergoing metamorphosis and care for non-neotenic mole salamanders (all of the family ambystoma, BTW) is going to be required.

A lot of tiger salamanders (or other salamanders of the family ambystoma) are marketed as "baby dinosaurs" apparently and sold to unsuspecting people who think they're getting an axolotl which is a neotenic mole salamander (ambystoma).

Mole salamander - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[axolotl nerd]

Who did you purchase from? Did you get him as one of those baby dinosaurs? There is no way this an axolotl. It's another type of mole salamander. Sadly, many people mislabel mole salamander larvae of other species as axolotls not knowing the difference. Axolotls are neotenic mole salamanders. Tiger salamander is a name given to numerous species of mole salamanders.

Information regarding the seller and what he is marketed as would be helpful. Yes, you should look into creating a paludarium that is half-land and half-water for him. Even if he is an axolotl (which he clearly is not!), he is still undergoing metamorphosis and care for non-neotenic mole salamanders (all of the family ambystoma, BTW) is going to be required.

A lot of tiger salamanders (or other salamanders of the family ambystoma) are marketed as "baby dinosaurs" apparently and sold to unsuspecting people who think they're getting an axolotl which is a neotenic mole salamander (ambystoma).

Mole salamander - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

yeah, it is absolutely awful that he was sold as an axolotl. most people don't know the difference, and the salamanders drown as a result.

 

[ZOExotic]

Who did you purchase from? Did you get him as one of those baby dinosaurs? There is no way this an axolotl. It's another type of mole salamander. Sadly, many people mislabel mole salamander larvae of other species as axolotls not knowing the difference. Axolotls are neotenic mole salamanders. Tiger salamander is a name given to numerous species of mole salamanders.

Information regarding the seller and what he is marketed as would be helpful. Yes, you should look into creating a paludarium that is half-land and half-water for him. Even if he is an axolotl (which he clearly is not!), he is still undergoing metamorphosis and care for non-neotenic mole salamanders (all of the family ambystoma, BTW) is going to be required.

A lot of tiger salamanders (or other salamanders of the family ambystoma) are marketed as "baby dinosaurs" apparently and sold to unsuspecting people who think they're getting an axolotl which is a neotenic mole salamander (ambystoma).

Mole salamander - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

These poor salamanders have been passed from owner to owner at my school. I was given them by a friend who called them “water dogs” i don’t know the rest of there origin story

 

[axolotl nerd]

These poor salamanders have been passed from owner to owner at my school. I was given them by a friend who called them “water dogs” i don’t know the rest of there origin story

that's terrible. i feel awful for the little guy. he looks to be a tiger salamander, so you'll need to do some research on the species and give him some land ASAP. i'm not qualified to give advice on tiger sals, as my area of expertise (AKA autistic special interest) is axolotls, but you could try posting in a section dedicated to them. i wish you the best of luck

 

[Autistic Catholic]

These poor salamanders have been passed from owner to owner at my school. I was given them by a friend who called them “water dogs” i don’t know the rest of there origin story

Okay. Aside from looking into tiger salamander care (and there's a lot of resources you can find here or on other amphibian forums as well! - this isn't an ambystoma Mexicana onlyist forum!), getting him some land to dwell on (I think you might want to look into a coconut fiber substrate as it can trap moisture much better), I would recommend you get in touch with that friend of yours who is calling them water dogs. I have heard this name applied to mole salamander species before so it seems like your friend may actually be knowledgeable about mole salamander care and may even be able to help you.

It's very likely that what you have is called ambystoma mavortium or the barred tiger salamander.

Water Dog vs Axolotl [Are These Salamanders Any Different?]

Water Dogs and Axolotls; are these the same or are there drastic differences between the two? I spent some time researching to find out for good! So, what is the difference between a Water Dog

peteducate.com

Barred tiger salamanders are frequently called water dogs. Water dogs of course applies to a lot of salamanders including axolotls as well but ambystoma mavortium is more commonly referred to as a water dog than an axolotl is. The larvae, as you can tell, is very much similar to an axolotl. But the adult forms stripes making it look like a tiger. Fortunately, there's a lot of resources out there on barred tiger salamander care and getting him some land is going to be most important right now. Out of curiosity, have you had him try and jump out of the tank? I've heard stories where people think they have an axolotl and then the animal jumps out of the tank because it's beginning to metamorphosize!

Again, if your friend is calling them water dogs, he actually very likely knows what he's talking about! I'd contact him immediately!

 

[ZOExotic]

Okay. Aside from looking into tiger salamander care (and there's a lot of resources you can find here or on other amphibian forums as well! - this isn't an ambystoma Mexicana onlyist forum!), getting him some land to dwell on (I think you might want to look into a coconut fiber substrate as it can trap moisture much better), I would recommend you get in touch with that friend of yours who is calling them water dogs. I have heard this name applied to mole salamander species before so it seems like your friend may actually be knowledgeable about mole salamander care and may even be able to help you.

It's very likely that what you have is called ambystoma mavortium or the barred tiger salamander.

Water Dog vs Axolotl [Are These Salamanders Any Different?]

Water Dogs and Axolotls; are these the same or are there drastic differences between the two? I spent some time researching to find out for good! So, what is the difference between a Water Dog

peteducate.com

Barred tiger salamanders are frequently called water dogs. Water dogs of course applies to a lot of salamanders including axolotls as well but ambystoma mavortium is more commonly referred to as a water dog than an axolotl is. The larvae, as you can tell, is very much similar to an axolotl. But the adult forms stripes making it look like a tiger. Fortunately, there's a lot of resources out there on barred tiger salamander care and getting him some land is going to be most important right now. Out of curiosity, have you had him try and jump out of the tank? I've heard stories where people think they have an axolotl and then the animal jumps out of the tank because it's beginning to metamorphosize!

Again, if your friend is calling them water dogs, he actually very likely knows what he's talking about! I'd contact him immediately!

My friend says he’s not sure the exact kind of salamanders and is trying to convince me gill size has to do with gender not morphing. Is there any reason his tank mate (of similar size and same origin) isn’t morphing?…. As for trying to jump out i left on a day trip with my sister in law pet sitting and apparently he had started floating at the top by the filter she freaked out and pushed him back in the water but I have yet to see him do it.

 

[axolotl nerd]

My friend says he’s not sure the exact kind of salamanders and is trying to convince me gill size has to do with gender not morphing. Is there any reason his tank mate (of similar size and same origin) isn’t morphing?…. As for trying to jump out i left on a day trip with my sister in law pet sitting and apparently he had started floating at the top by the filter she freaked out and pushed him back in the water but I have yet to see him do it.

idk much about terrestrial salamanders, but at least with axolotls there is no sexual dimorphisim in the gills. the tank mate (if the same species) probably has not morphed yet because it has not been offered land. if you offer them both land, i would bet money that they both morph. if he is floating and trying to climb the filter - he needs land IMMEDIATELY. build them a land area ASAP, because they can drown if left in water

 

[ZOExotic]

idk much about terrestrial salamanders, but at least with axolotls there is no sexual dimorphisim in the gills. the tank mate (if the same species) probably has not morphed yet because it has not been offered land. if you offer them both land, i would bet money that they both morph. if he is floating and trying to climb the filter - he needs land IMMEDIATELY. build them a land area ASAP, because they can drown if left in water

Ok thanks for all your help!!
I’m working on there enclosure right now I’ll get these guys comfortable in no time

 

[wolfen]

your "axolotl" is a tiger salamander going through metamorphosis, what species of tiger salamander remains to be seen but could be barred.
some tiger salamanders remain in their neotenic state although the majority morph, gills are used to allow them to absorb oxygen in the water as although they can get some air from the surface the lungs are only fundamental and not fully formed, once they start to morph the lungs develop and the gills regress as they are no longer required as they become mostly terrestrial.
male tiger salamanders are similar to male axolotls which have swollen cloaca and tend to have longer tails.

 

[Autistic Catholic]

My friend says he’s not sure the exact kind of salamanders and is trying to convince me gill size has to do with gender not morphing. Is there any reason his tank mate (of similar size and same origin) isn’t morphing?…. As for trying to jump out i left on a day trip with my sister in law pet sitting and apparently he had started floating at the top by the filter she freaked out and pushed him back in the water but I have yet to see him do it.

Your salamander is losing his gills because he is morphing. He does not have "small" gills. I don't think small gills is a way to determine sex anyway since they inevitably lose them. He is going to be spending time near the surface a lot as he is morphing. This is because he is going from being a fully aquatic animal to being a land animal. Now that you know this, you can freak out less.