The "A Stuffed Axolotls May Be A Better Choice Than A Real One!" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Looking at a really neat animal known as a salamander or an axolotls. Thing seems to have feelers or "wings" that stick out of both sides of its body at the side of its head.  When I was a young boy I had many pets and at one time had a few salamanders which were brown in color, perhaps 6" in length and feet that had pointed toes.  Well, the salamander that is pictured in my local Sunday News looks a bit more scary with beady black eyes and the color of a ghost.  It is known as an "Axolotl" which is famous for their fancy gills, their plight to survive in the Mexican wild, a face that looks like they're smiling and an ability to regenerate body parts.  It is the type of pet I wish I had when I was a young boy.  Well, this unusual looking "pet" is for sale at my local pet store, "That Fish Place/That Pet Place" in Lancaster, Pennsylvania for the price of "$69.99" for the jumbo size.  

The axolotls has sold well since it's arrival at the pet store a few months ago.  I suspect that I might have had one if I was still a child.  Actually, I did have a few salamanders as pets when I was a young boy.  The Axolotl is famous for their fancy gills, their faces that look like they're smiling, their ability to regenerate body parts and their plight to survive in the Mexican wild, where they are generally found.  At one time they were throughout the high-altitude lakes surrounding Mexico City.  These foot-long amphibians are now limited to only a few inland canals near Lake Xochimilco where many fewer live today.  They face the threat of water pollution, predation by invasive carp and tilapia and the threat of habitat loss.  The country of Mexico put the image of the axolotls on its 50 peso note last year.  Mexican scientists are attempting to breed axolotl in labs to help increase the population.  The Axolotls are normally brown or grey in the wild but appear white with pink highlights when living in captive locations.  That Fish Place happen to have  both white and brown for sale.  At one time there was a Pokemon character that was named Wooper that was meant to be a Axolotl.  As a pet, their care is extremely demanding and specific and potential owners need to keep them in chilled water.  Axolotl eat things such as earthworms, black worms, frozen or freeze-dried clams, mussels or shrimp.  Keeping fish in the same place isn't recommended since fish tend to peck at the Axolotls.  Some states do not allow the Axolotl as a pet.  The Axolotl is a popular pet with it being more popular than the sloth.  Be prepared for a lot of work if you do decide to have an Axolotl as a household pet.  They are neat and different, but not something that I would want for a pet anymore.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.