Amazing Alice The Axolotl
Meet Alice!
Many years ago now, my boyfriend and I had a pet axolotl or mexican walking fish called Alice.
The Axolotl is a weird and wonderful creature that swims and walks around its tank with Darwinist like movements.
You would not be surprised at all, if when watching this creature, that at some stage it would suddenly come climbing out of its tank and start walking and breathing outside of the water.
Amazing.
Not a cute cuddly pet by any means but certainly a very interesting one which surprisingly enough you can grow quite fond of.
Alice was so interesting, it was great just to sit and watch her swimming around in her tank!
Alice The Axolotl
The Axolotl or Mexican walking fish is exactly what the name suggests.
Unlike other fish this one has legs that are not fully developed so it both swims like a fish and walks along, floats really, on the bottom of its tank.
It is as if they have been frozen in the first stage of evolution, by forming legs, the next having the ability to breathe outside of water, losing their gills and obtaining lungs to breathe with, Darwin's theory of evolution.
They come in four different colors, Alice was a dark brown, some being so white they look albino.
Axolotls Originate From Lake Xochimilco, Mexico City.
Keeping A Clean Tank For Alice!
Alice was kept in a medium-sized tank decorated with live plants, pebbles and rocks in the lounge room and was a constant source of conversation when people came over and some even become quite attached.
It was most important to keep the tank out of direct sunlight and to keep the water clean for her, cleaning the tank out and filling it with fresh at least once a month.
Meanwhile having a pump in the tank filters the dirty water and also provides extra oxygen which they need in this environment.
Feeding Alice was fun as fresh meat, such as worms, are place on a thin wire, soft as not to course damage, and held on the surface where she would come to feast. She would then take a snap at her food, as they have little teeth, and then swim down to the bottom to eat.
Keeping your axolotl healthy is work but not hard just continuous maintenance that you should be aware of before acquiring a pet like Alice.
Fresh tank water at all times and good food from pet suppliers such as trout and salmon pellets and frozen or live worms should keep you pet axolotl happy and contented though out its life.
Axolotls At Home
Have You Had an Axolotl as a Pet?
Would you like an Axolotl as a pet?
© 2010 Julia M S Pearce
Thanks for Stopping By!Let me know what you think of Alice!
Very fascinating. My husband keeps and breeds freshwater fish. This one is cool. I didn't know you could keep them in tanks. Maybe we'll try it.
my goodness - so ugly it is cute
Alice is definitely amazing and I sure enjoyed learning about the Axolotl
Axolotl are beautiful creatures! Blessed by an angel
Cute! I love these salamandrs.
Good lens. Thumbs up, faved, liked and featured on Pets Health.
How cool to see a lens on an Axoltl! They are really interesting Salamanders. Scientists began keeping them to research their ability to regrow a lost limb. From there many entered the pet trade. Now it is thought they are actually extinct in their native habitat in Mexico - but they are well represented as pets!
Congratulations on the purple star!
In the US these salamanders are often called mud puppies...and yes the Mexican Axolotls are way past danger of extinction...they actually are exctint in their natural Mexico City habitat, because that habitat has been completely destroyed & poluted by humans. So the Mexican Axolotls in captivity are all that's left of that particular axolotl...In the States it's not uncommon to find one on your hook when river cat-fishing, so there are still many that do live in the wild. Fun lens, thanks for sharing.
Great to see a more unusual pet being written about on this template!
What is most amazing about these is from some angles, they look like a reptile - a salamander or lizard, and from others a fish. One question - how long do they live for usually? Knowing how kids can get attached to their pets...
- AUTHOR
@rachsue lm: An Axolotl with make a great pet for your boys! Good luck and let me know howw you get on!
What an interesting animal to have as a pet
Well my boys walked into the room while I was reading your lens, and guess what, it looks as though we may have one for a pet very soon. LOL. Interesting animal and thank you for sharing your story
Thanks for sharing your story, and introducing me to Alice, one of the most peculiar animals I've seen. =)
It's never crossed my mind to have an axolotl as a pet but now I'm very tempted to do so.
16