Axolotls

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destruction of axolotls’ native habitat, they are being rehabilitated to lab centers and conservation areas to help maintain the population and continue breeding (Zambrano et al., 2010). Mating All axolotls exhibit neoteny, which is the act of reaching sexual maturity while still being in the larval state or without undergoing metamorphosis. It takes one to two years for an axolotl to fully prepare for mating without any risks (Clare, 1999). Even though they are sexually matured within 12 months, breeding can be dangerous and harmful to young axolotls’ bodies. While they are still reaching the breeding stage, males and females often separate from each other since until it is time to mate. By 18 months of age, Mexican salamanders can begin …show more content…

There are four different variations of color that Mexican salamanders can be born with (“Incredibly Basic,” 2014; Clare, 1999). The first color variant is wild type which is typically dark brown with yellow patches, also called crystallized purines (Clare, 1999). The phenotypes for wild type are dark, non-melanoid, non-albino, and non-axanthic, meaning yellow pigment is present (“Incredibly Basic,” 2014). Melanoid is another variant that lacks the yellow speckles of the wild type has and is solid black in color. Wild types and melanoids look similar in color and are sometimes hard to differentiate, however non-melanoid axolotls have a shiny ring around their pupils while melanoids do not. Another color variant is the white axolotl with non-melanoid, non-albino, and non-axanthic phenotypes. White axolotls are almost exactly like albinos, but the white type has black eyes while albinos have pink eyes. Albino axolotls are the last color variant with the non-melanoid phenotype (Clare, 1999). Some albinos have the non-axanthic phenotype which often gives them a golden hue due to the buildup of riboflavin (“Incredibly Basic,” 2014). Other albinos are all white, similar to the white axolotls, but have a pink hue around their face (Clare, …show more content…

Mexican salamanders are only native to Lake Xochimilco, and that area is slowly shrinking in size along with the axolotl population due

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