Hi there:



From all that I have read, Axolotls are neotonic their entire life. Duh... But in one of my old books, I just read that if you stop keeping the water cold, they will take to the land and become a regular salamander. Its obvious that waterdogs turn into tiger salamanders, but I don't have a waterdog. I have an axolotl. A weird one. he was in a tank with about 20 others, most measuring about 4 inches in length. His gills are very bushy. He is golden in color. Anyway, I have read that if you introduce the hormone thyroxin into their diet, or add iodine to the water that reacts with the thyroid gland, they will turn into Mexican Salamanders. Of course, I want it to live and let live as it would in its natural habitat; the Xochimilcho canal system. I keep the water cold, but I read that if you just leave it alone, it will transform. I have my own suspicions about this. The University of Indianas Axolotl colony contains terrestrial individuals, and I have even seen pictures of hulking, enormous Axolotls missing their gills. Trust me, they weren't tiger salamanders! So, is this true? Based on personal observations, I say no, but some have their own beliefs...

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