What the Hell is an Axolotyl?

So you've never heard of an axolotl before? To know an axolotl you need to know the salamander... and so begins our biology lesson.

A salamander is a terrestrial amphibian that begins his life in a clean, cool pond or lake. The courtship ritual is actually very complex and involved. Basically the male salamander will pick up a single female at the local pub (usually located under a rotting log near the pond). After lavishing expensive gifts of slugs, earthworms, and an occasional blue bottle fly the pair will head off to the nearest pond to consummate the relationship. Being a rather voyeuristic creature; well, at least as far as sex is concerned, the male will watch the female deposit hundreds of eggs in the pond. This gets him very excited, which then leads to him fertilizing the whole egg mass in one fell swoop. I won't get too graphic on this point -- I'm sure there's an adult salamander page somewhere on the NET. Try a search for "Sex, Salamander." If you find anything I really don't want to hear about it! Anyway, now we have a mass of fertilized eggs primed and ready to produce the next generation of salamanders. The male at this point usually lights up a cigarette, takes a couple puffs and offers it to the female. Feeling completely disgusted by Joe Camel, she stomps off into the swamp never to be seen by him again. You'd think they'd learn... but you know how men can be!

Right! Anyway, eventually the eggs hatch. Well, unless they are devoured by some creature, infested with mold, or destroyed by industrial pollutants (remember the part about *clean* water?). So, assuming they hatch, a swarm of little baby salamanders appears swimming through the water with complete childlike abandon. Now I know what you're wondering: You're thinking that that if a salamander is a terrestrial amphibian then how the hell do these little bastards manage to breathe under water? Good point -- I was actually getting to that. The answer is that baby salamanders (or larval salamanders as the biologists call them) have large red gills, which are clearly visible on the sides of their heads where their ears would be if they had them. They live in this form for awhile -- the actual time depends on the species -- until they eventually lose the gills and unable to breathe wisely leave the pond and find a nice rotting log to hang out under. And that is basically how salamanders do it. Aren't you glad you read all this?

So, what about the axolotl? An axolotl is not technically a species of anything. Its more a state of mind, a way of being, a rebel in the amphibian world. It is in fact a salamander that decided to not shed its gills and live out its entire life in the water. I basically see them as the "Peter Pan" of the natural world -- a creature that actually refuses to grow up. Any species of salamander in the family Ambystomatidae (the mole salamanders) can do this, but the Eastern Tiger Salamander is the one most often seen in this form (at least in our local pet shops). Cool, huh? Also, this is not the same thing as a newt. A newt is an aquatic salamander, genus Notophthalmus, that generally spends its entire life cycle in water. In some case the larval form will leave the water and live as an "adult" on land for one to three years. When they are in this stage they are referred to as an "Eft." They usually return to the water after this time, almost as an after-thought, and spend the rest of their existance in the pond. And newts do not have external gills -- they need to come to the surface to breathe.

What this has to do with me is that I've been fascinated by this concept for quite awhile. I find it quite remarkable that there is a creature that can decide to not grow up and live in its child form for its whole life. This is something I seek to do in myself and in my work. I seek to be always searching, learning, growing, fascinated by Mother Earth in all Her forms. I want to see each new day as a child does, with amazement and wonder. And I seek to live in the present, as the future can be changed with just a thought. To me, growing into an adult in our society can mean giving in to the status quo, working 9-5, setting up and being bound by rigid patterns, being unable to change and adapt, and forgetting/denying the child within. The axolotl is a symbol to me of what is possible, and as long as I don't get eaten by a large bass its a fine way to be!

Home :: Wildlife Galleries :: People Galleries :: Purchasing Photos :: My Rates :: Purchasing via PayPal© :: About the Photos :: Shows :: What's New? :: Guest Book :: What's an Axolotyl? :: Info About Me
Send E-Mail

11/16/04 3:29 AM