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Thread: Coolest Animals?

  1. #1
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    Default Coolest Animals?

    The Axolotl (Ambystoma mexicanum) is an aquatic salamander.

    It is noted for its appearance and its demonstration of neoteny, remaining in its aquatic larval form even as a sexually-mature adult, and not undergoing metamorphosis into a terrestrial form.

    A fully grown axolotl, at age 18-24 months, ranges in length from 150-450 mm (6-18 inches), although a size close to 230 mm (9 inches) is most common and greater than 300 mm (12 inches) is rare. They have distinctive 'fern-like' gill structures that are not covered (as are gills in fish and in frog tadpoles) - usually 3 stalks on each side of the head; axolotls also breathe through the skin and possess lungs. In colour they range from albino or white (leucistic) to black, through greys, tans and browns. Wild axolotls are rarely white, though all leucistic (white with black eyes) axolotls are descended from a single mutant male brought to Paris in 1863 in a shipment to the Jardin des Plantes in the city. The true albino mutant common in labs and pet stores was created in an American laboratory in the 1950s through hybridization with an albino Tiger Salamander. No axolotls commercially available today are wild caught (since doing so is strictly forbidden), the majority being descended from these same research specimens, even in the pet trade.

    Native to Lake Xochimilco and Lake Chalco in central Mexico, they also live in "axalapascos" (volcanic craters filled with water, maare). The wild population has been put under heavy pressure by the growth of Mexico City. Axolotls are also sold as food in Mexican markets, and were a staple in the Aztec diet. It is currently listed by CITES as an endangered species. In the Spanish language it is called the ajolote.

    The axolotl is carnivorous, consuming small prey such as worms, insects, and small fish in the wild. In captivity, they can be fed a variety of readily available foods, including trout and salmon pellets, frozen or live bloodworms, earthworms, and waxworms on occasion. Beef Heart is sometimes recommended, but is not a good choice for the animal as mammal proteins are not readily digestible. Small juveniles can be fed with Daphnia or brine shrimp until old enough for the larger foodstuffs. Axolotls locate food by smell, and will "snap" at any potential meal, sucking the food into their stomachs with vacuum force. This is why other animals may not be housed with axolotls (excluding adults with adults) as anything smaller will invariably end up in their mouths - even siblings. Fish can also nibble an axolotl's gill stalks and appendages while it is asleep, leading to infection.

    Axolotls live at temperatures of 14-20°C (54-68°F), preferably 17-18°C (62-64°F). Lower temperatures slow down their metabolism, although temperatures around 10 C (50 F) are a panacea when it comes to treating disease. Higher temperatures can lead to stress and increased appetite; use of a cooling aggregate is strongly recommended. In the wild, the water temperature in Xochimilco rarely rises above 20°C (68°F), though it may fall to 6 or 7°C (43°F) in the winter, and perhaps lower. Tapwater should be treated with a dechlorinator before the animal is introduced into it, as chlorine is harmful. A single typical axolotl should be kept in a normal 10 US gallon tank with around 150 mm (6 inches) of water. A full tank without a lid can lead to the animal "jumping ship" as it were. A power filter or underwater filter run by an airpump can be used, though water flow should be kept to a minimum to avoid stressing the animal. A 20% water change should be done every week, with debris being siphoned from the bottom. Small gravel should be avoided, as the axolotl can mistakenly ingest the rocks, leading to stress and gas. Floating plants should be provided for juveniles as a hiding place, and small caves should likewise be provided for adults. No light is necessary as axolotls are nocturnal. Axolotls will spend a majority of the time on the bottom of the tank (floating is a sign of stress and illness), so design accordingly.

    Axolotls are very closely related to Tiger Salamanders (Ambystoma tigrinum). Some axolotls can metamorphose, although they do so rarely, and usually have to be treated with iodine or shots of thyroxine hormone to achieve the full transformation. The loss of the ability to produce the hormones on their own is what results in the animal's neotenic existence. Metamorphosis also dramatically shortens the axolotl's lifespan, assuming they even survive the process. A neotenic axolotl will live an average of 10-15 years (though an individual in Paris is credited with achieving 25 years), while a metamorphosed specimen will scarcely live past the age of five.

    The axolotl is used in research and large numbers are bred in captivity. The feature of the salamander that attracts most attention is its healing ability: the axolotl does not heal by scarring and is capable of the regeneration of entire lost appendages in a period of months, and, in certain cases, more vital structures. Some have indeed been found restoring the less vital parts of their brains. They can also readily accept transplants from other individuals, including eyes and parts of the brain - restoring these alien organs to full functionality. In metamorphosed individuals, however, this ability is greatly diminished. Another attractive feature, for research, is the large and robust embryos. Axolotls are especially easy to breed compared to other salamanders in their family, which are almost never captive bred.

    The name is from the Aztec Nahuatl language, from "atl" meaning water, and "xolotl" meaning dog. It also derives its name from the Aztec God of Death Xolotl, who - according to myth - assumed the amphibian's form in an effort to escape exile, and was killed while such.


















  2. #2
    KilLAtomiK's Avatar Ceci n'est pas une pirate
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    Default Re: Coolest Animals?

    my iguana is prety cool

  3. #3
    Evilbink's Avatar Sanctimonious Satyr
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    Default Re: Coolest Animals?

    My Favorite...Ring Tailed Lemurs (no pic, sry)

  4. #4

    Default Re: Coolest Animals?

    I almost bought one of these a few years back

    http://www.savannahcats.com/

  5. #5
    Umbilical Lotus's Avatar Pregnant with Atrocities
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    Default Re: Coolest Animals?



    Bears. So cute, yet they'll fucking kill you. The ultimate 'look but don't touch, even though you REALLY WANT TO' animal.

  6. #6
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    Default Re: Coolest Animals?


  7. #7
    One Eyed Cat's Avatar Senior Member
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    Default Re: Coolest Animals?



    OEC

  8. #8
    suicidal_tendencies's Avatar Senior Member
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    Default Re: Coolest Animals?

    Quote Originally Posted by Tequila Zaire

    that takes my vote

  9. #9
    badkittyamy's Avatar Crazy Art Kitten
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    Default Re: Coolest Animals?

    any form of cat preferably tiger. liger, tygon or jaguar

  10. #10
    killerkat's Avatar Malice?
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    Default Re: Coolest Animals?

    Quote Originally Posted by VoldtaEngler
    I almost bought one of these a few years back

    http://www.savannahcats.com/


    holy shit,i Want one....


    and they took my name,i'd soo call it Voodoo....

  11. #11
    scabre's Avatar Senior Member
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    Default Re: Coolest Animals?

    i like cats.. any shape and size! and toy dogs! (those fluffy ones you see in crufts, which, when they jump over the hurdles, all their fluff bounces up.. adorable!)

  12. #12
    skintwisterman's Avatar Sunswallower
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    Default Re: Coolest Animals?

    I love canids of all breeds.
    Why? Born in jungle, raised by wolves, of course!

    Well. Sort of.

    Born in Urban jungle, raised by constantly absent parents and a dog, Laddie, in an area with no other youths.

    Heh.

    Anyway, animals...
    Of dogs, the best are Malamutes. They're sooooo cuuuuute and BIG RAWR style guys.
    Raccoons hold a place in my heart for their devious "chook chook" ways.
    Mongees just rawk, whatever you say. Fast snake-eating bastards. Nature's Little Psycho Badasses.
    Silverfish, an insect, but a nice one. Great for the house to have a few, clean it. They rawk.
    Cockroaches have my respect for how damn tenacious the bastards are. Still kill 'em. Likewise, locust have my respect for efficiency and voraciousness, though I'd kill any wild locust I found.
    I got this funny thing about Tapeworms, but not in a OMFG W00t GIMME TEH WORMS way. I ain't got any silly ideas about using them to lose weight-- that's one of the to things I don't want to do, lose or gain weight (history of Anorexia)-- and know about brain damage, etc. I really don't know why I like tape worms, but as much as I do, I still would rather noone ever got sick with them XD
    Ravens, big, black bastard birds. Beautiful.

  13. #13
    manimal's Avatar Junior Member
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    Default Re: Coolest Animals?

    chupacabra

  14. #14
    nuklear's Avatar Junior Member
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    Default Re: Coolest Animals?

    Llamas are the coolest

  15. #15
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    Default Re: Coolest Animals?

    Quote Originally Posted by nuklear
    Llamas are the coolest


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  16. #16
    Pull~My~Hair's Avatar makes your life seem good
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    Default Re: Coolest Animals?

    Quote Originally Posted by VoldtaEngler
    I almost bought one of these a few years back

    http://www.savannahcats.com/
    I have a friend that has one,it's a baby, it jumps so freaking high... but it has herpes in its eyes (lol I know poor thing) and its eyes water all of the time,...its name is bob and he has a ferret named jay and they chase eachother all over his apartment

  17. #17
    nuklear's Avatar Junior Member
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    Default Re: Coolest Animals?

    Those savannah cats look dangerous. I guess they are domesticated but they look pretty big and wild.

  18. #18
    the_darkness_calls's Avatar Senior Member
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    Default Re: Coolest Animals?

    i showed my roomie that savannah cats site, and we soo want one. too bad we can't have pets, not til our landlord moves out of the second floor apt, anyway... i'd like to have some kind of reptile, a friend of mine has a snake, and it's the coolest thing ever

  19. #19
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    Default Re: Coolest Animals?

    Quote Originally Posted by the_darkness_calls
    i showed my roomie that savannah cats site, and we soo want one. too bad we can't have pets, not til our landlord moves out of the second floor apt, anyway... i'd like to have some kind of reptile, a friend of mine has a snake, and it's the coolest thing ever
    An Axolotl Would Be Awesome.

    **

  20. #20
    Rockwulf's Avatar Negatory
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    Default Re: Coolest Animals?

    I want a monkey. A monkey with a sword and a helmet that would hide in my apartment and be ready to battle me when I got home from work.

  21. #21
    KilLAtomiK's Avatar Ceci n'est pas une pirate
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    Default Re: Coolest Animals?

    i wana buy a snake but i dont want a huge as python, i had a rattle snake i found in my chicken coop but i couldnt pet it for obvious reasons. I need to look into a breed of snake that aint venomous but grows up as bigg as a rattle snake and not much bigger. I dont want anything that can eat a small dog

  22. #22
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    Default Re: Coolest Animals?

    Quote Originally Posted by KilLAtomiK
    i wana buy a snake but i dont want a huge as python, i had a rattle snake i found in my chicken coop but i couldnt pet it for obvious reasons. I need to look into a breed of snake that aint venomous but grows up as bigg as a rattle snake and not much bigger. I dont want anything that can eat a small dog

    The Grass Snake, sometimes called the Ringed Snake or Water Snake (Natrix natrix) is a European non-venomous snake.

    The Grass Snake is typically dark green or brown in colour with a characteristic yellow collar behind the head, which explains the alternative name ringed snake. The colour may also range from grey to black. The underside is lighter in colour. In Britain the Grass Snake is the largest reptile reaching up to 120cm total length.

    They prey almost entirely on amphibians, especially the common frog, although they also occasionally eat mammals and fish. Grass Snakes are strong swimmers and are usually found close to fresh water.

    Grass Snakes hibernate over the winter and mate soon after they emerge in the spring during April or May. The leathery skinned eggs are laid in batches of 8-40 in June to July and hatch after about 10 weeks. As eggs require a temperature of at least 21° C to hatch, rotting vegetation, including compost heaps are preferred locations. The young are around 18cm long when they hatch and are immediately independent.

    Not being venomous, their only defenses are to produce a foul-smelling fluid from the anal glands and/or feign death. Sometimes, they will also perform fake attacks, striking without actually opening their mouths. They bite in defense rarely.

    This snake is found in lowland areas of England and Wales but is almost absent from Scotland and not found in Ireland. It has a wide distribution in continental Europe, from southern Scandinavia to southern Italy. It is also found in northwestern Africa. British Grass Snakes belong to the subspecies Natrix natrix helvetica, but experts differ on the number of subspecies.

    **

  23. #23
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    Default Re: Coolest Animals?

    Walking Fish, also called Goby:







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  24. #24

    Default Re: Coolest Animals?

    Squirrel Monkeys.

  25. #25

    Default Re: Coolest Animals?

    Bats... of course they are on the endangered list and cant be owned

  26. #26
    mmmcherry's Avatar CHERRALICIOUS!!!
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    Default Re: Coolest Animals?

    Quote Originally Posted by nuklear
    Llamas are the coolest
    dude... you are my hero of the day

  27. #27
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    Default Re: Coolest Animals?

    Quote Originally Posted by Vitorro
    Bats... of course they are on the endangered list and cant be owned
    Depends on the type of Bat. You are allowed to own certain types, if you have a permit. An example would be certain types of Fruit Bats.




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