Axolotls: an improper essay

AXOLOTLS 

Ambystoma mexicanum, an improper essay

The axolotl, a fascinating creature! I enjoy researching and learning but often do not do so as much as I would like outside of a classroom setting. Thus, I have chosen an animal that I like and challenged myself to compile and report on various resources about it. Let us settle in and see where this journey takes us. Links will be embedded and additional sources will be listed at the bottom of the blog! Now, let us begin.

Population

First things first, Axolotls are critically endangered in the wild. The wild population is estimated to be at 1,000 or less individuals. Recently, I watched this youtube video on the axolotl, which gives a brief summary about the axolotl and the habitat in which it resides. The axolotl is an endemic species, you may ask yourself, what does endemic mean? Endemic is used to describe a species that is local to a specific region. Axolotls used to live in multiple freshwater systems in Mexico but due to development and habitat destruction they now primarly reside in Lake Xochimilco.

Anatomy

You can take a deep dive into axolotl anatomy at the aquifarm website and libertyland axolotl rescue! Axolotls remain in their neotenic form throughout the duration of their lives. This means that, unlike other salamanders, they remain stuck in an aquatic and youthful state. They have external gills, the frills around their heads, that help to take oxygen from the water. Despite having gills, their main form of respiration comes from distal capillaries in their skin. Axolotls do not have eyelids! While swimming, an axolotl's speed relies primarly on the thrust of its tail. They usually tuck their limbs against their body while swimming! Axolotls have a vomeronasal organ in the roof of their mouths that is connected to their nostrils. This organ detects pheromones and other chemical signals around them. 

Behaviour

This article dives into conservation efforts with a mention of axolotl behaviour. They released axolotls in the wild and kept track of them. They found that the axolotls tended to spend most of their time with another individual. Axolotls are both carnivorous and diligent predators. Their prey consists of invertebrates like mollusks, and a variety of insect larvae. They even consume small fish and other amphibians such as tadpoles for example. Axolotls have a wide variety of prey options within their diet. When capturing their next meal, Axolotls use suction feeding. The rapid opening of their mouths causes a vacuum which quickly sucks prey inside. Axolots are ambush predators, this means they wait a while before striking oncoming prey. Axolotls have a lateral line system, which is an interconnected network of organs that detects movement and changes in pressure within an animals surrounding aquatic environment. Axolotls perform a mating ritual and then the female axolotl lays eggs. The eggs tend to hatch within 10 to 14 days. 

Media  ꒰(˶• ᴗ •˶)꒱

The Amblystoma is a 1913 French short film about the axolotl, you can watch it through YouTube here. It is an educational film in black and white that shows Axolotl life stages and behavior. There are various documentaries, and films (live action and animated) about the axolotl. One documentary is Salamander of the Gods on PBS. A few things the documentary touches on are conservation, history, and changes within the axolotl's habitat. I will not be covering all appearances in this blog but you can browse IMDB if you are interested! The water and ground type Pokemon Wooper resembles an axolotl.  Another find while doing research for this blog has led me to Gravity Falls. Although not shown within the series, apparently the axolotl is an entity within the Gravity Falls universe that is extra-dimensional and powerful. There are also very many toy versions of the axolotl such as plushies, figurines, and themed slimes. There are littlest pet shop versions of the axolotl and in my opinion they are very cute. Now, onto video games. Here are some free games that you can play on itch.io under the search term, you guessed it, axolotl. The moment I have been waiting for, and the driving factor behind a Media section..... The Minecraft Axolotl. Within the game they are found within lush caves, and they can be carried around in a bucket. Minecraft Axolotls will attack many other mobs such as cod, salmon, squid, and drowned. They can explore very briefly on land, and will play dead if attacked in the water. They are, also, very cute. 

Mythology

Axolotls have a place within Aztec mythology. The Legend of the Fifth Sun is the story we will be discussing, it was passed down orally in origin. There were gods sacrificed in order to create both the moon and the sun, and another sacrifice was needed. Quetzalcoatl, a feathered serpent god, offered his twin Xolotl as sacrificial tribute. Xolotl had the ability to shapeshift and used this as he fled, transforming into corn and then an agave plant. The last transformation he performed, was that of an axolotl. Eventually Xolotl was found by the wind god Ehecatl and sacrificed for the creation of the universe. Due to his act of fleeing, Xolotl's punishment was to be portrayed as an axolotl going forward for the rest of eternity. Libertyland Axolotl Rescue also has an article briefly mentioning the axolotl's role in mythology. 

Care

There are numerous resources available online for potential pet owners when it comes to any new pet. There are YouTube videos that go over care, various care guides on websites, and more! The lifespan of a pet axolotl can range from 10 to 20 years according to some sources. When fully grown, a captive axolotl measures at about 10 inches in length. The reccomended tank size is at a minimum of 10 gallons, but a larger tank such as 20 gallons is more ideal. If you do only have the soace for a 10 gallon tank, frequent cleaning will be needed in order to ensure a sanitary environment for the axolotl. When owning an axolotl, you will need to keep the water within certain perameters as if replicating their natural habitat. 60 to 64 degrees Farenheit (15.5 to 17.7 degrees Celsius) is an ideal temperature range. The best substrate for an axolotl is sand, as they can get injured from swallowing aquarium gravel. You'll also want to find some safe materials to create hiding spots within the aquarium. The best food for a captive axolotl consists of earthworms, bloodworms, and brine shrimp. You can do frozen feeding and place the food with something like tweezers. Here is another care guide, it is best to review multiple resources as reccomendations and measurements will vary. For example, this guide insists upon a minimum of a 20 gallon tank and slightly adjusts the ideal water temperatures. Please review multiple videos, articles, resources, and guides before purchasing a live animal so that they can have the proper care.

Conservation

You can donate here to get a digital kit from adopting an axolotl through Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico! Here is a quote directly from the UNAM site, "The money raised from our adoption program help the axolotl habitat rehabilitation, the conservation of local wildlife and the strengthening of chinampera agricultural practices." Here is a website explaining what a chinampa is, as well as its importance. In short, they are "floating gardens" built from lake sediment, organic matter, and vegetation that are surrounded by canals. Chinampa's provide good habitat for wild axolotls. Conservation International has a site about the axolotl. There is also a website called savetheaxolotl that has various resources available. MOJA works on axolotl habitat conservation. They established a conservation center in the national park of Xochimilco! While working on this blog, a friend introduced me to the axolotl nuns. The nuns have a breeding facility for axolotls where they keep them fed and keep their environment clean in order to assist with conservation efforts. There are ways that anyone around the world can participate in conservation. You can learn, educate others, share resources, cut back on waste, and donate where you can! Within my environmental ethics course it was taught that even cutting back on a few burgers a week is a significant impact. Making any mindful choice in relation to the planet is good and impactful, no matter how big or small.

Note

Throughout writing this blog, I briefly reviewed the resources that I linked, but I did not fully read each article or watch each video in their entirety. The purpose of this blog was to have some fun as a conservation ecology student and someone who enjoys research. Each pink word throughout the text will take you to whatever article or video was mentioned in that section once you click on it. Let me know what you learned! It was fun to write and I now know more about axolotls than I did before. 

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Image Credit  

- https://www.pinterest.com/pin/649785052487007736/

- https://www.libertylandaxolotlrescue.org/lessons-learned-lla-blog/1mdinln8v2xfhv9yb62dq2k6jnurl6

- https://en.galaxys25userguide.com/

- https://www.libertylandaxolotlrescue.org/lessons-learned-lla-blog/the-proper-way-to-set-up-an-axolotl-tank-a-stepbystep-guide 

- https://emojicombos.com/axolotl