WHY DID THIS HAPPEN?

Your beautiful axolotl was fine one day, with gorgeous, flowing pink gills, then the next, he looked like someone had shrink wrapped his head and snipped off his headgear. Distraught, you look to the internet for answers and find out that he is morphing into a terrestrial salamander. You find a lot of answers stating that you must have mistreated him or fed him a chemical. Intentionally if you were cruel, or perhaps by accident if you were just ignorant. You can stop feeling like a monster...none of that is true.

Ask yourself this - Did your axolotl morph between the age of 5-10 months? Your answer was yes, wasn't it? Your salamander morphed not because you did something wrong - He morphed because he was genetically predisposed to.

It all starts in the axolotl's thyroid. When they are very small and still growing, the thyroid sends out hormones that tell their bodies and bones to grow. As the axolotl nears the end of their growth, the thyroid stops sending these hormones. In most amphibians, the hormones flow until metamorphosis is triggered.

An axolotl doesn't get this signal because their hormone flow slows down and eventually stops as they near adulthood. In the case of a rare morphing axolotl, the thyroid does not stop sending out hormones. As their larval growth slows, they receive the signs to finish their "growth" and metamorphose into terrestrial salamanders. This is why a morphing axolotl often changes at 5-10 months. This is when their growth is slowing down and preparing to leave the larval stage of life.

We believe that these genes were introduced in part by tiger salamander DNA. Many years back, axolotl embryos were implanted with tiger salamander nuclei to give them the albino gene, which the axolotl did not possess. It was a success. We got albino axolotls...but we also got recessive morphing genes.

There are also a few irresponsible breeders out there who are selling hybrid salamanders - Axolotls with very close andersoni or tiger salamander relatives - And not sharing this information with the people who buy them. This can result in morphing offspring being sold to dispersed across entire countries.

BUT SOME MORPHING IS FORCED?

...Yes and no. Axolotls have been studied for their neotenic tendencies for more than 150 years. In the process, scientists have figured out that injecting them with iodine or bathing them in thyroid hormones can trigger metamorphosis, even if the salamander was not genetically predisposed to do so. This is not exclusive to the axolotl, however. Many different salamanders and frogs have undergone this method of research to try to learn the ins-and-outs of metamorphosis.

Now, knowing this, one must understand that scientific research should be held to a different account than what happens to the average axolotl owner. Interview a community of morphed axolotl owners or speak with someone who is panicking with a brand new morph and you will quickly find that no one is forcing their salamander to change. It's all in the genetics.

As many axolotls begin to morph, a pattern begins to emerge. Their siblings start to morph within weeks of each other, sometimes in different homes across different states or on other sides of the country. Sometimes a breeder will start getting calls about sold babies morphing. They will pull the parents from the breeding program and suddenly all reports of morphing stop, as the parents are no longer spreading their genes.

CAN I PREVENT MORPHING?

Again, yes and no. If an axolotl is predisposed to morph because of his genetics, there is nothing that can be done to stop this process. The moment he was born with an active thyroid, his life was set in motion in this way. In future generations though, we can all do our part to prevent axolotls from morphing.

Great care should be taken to buy from a reputable breeder with no history of morphing in their lines. It should be something that you discuss with them before buying one of their axolotls. Ask them what their plan would be if they found out that one of their babies morphed. The answer should always be "I will retire the parents."

As fun as it is to raise babies, if you want a guarantee that your axolotl will never morph, only buy axolotls that are older than a year. Remember - Axolotls can live for 14 years or more. You will still have a long and happy life with them!

And never, ever buy eggs or babies from unknown parents. eBay, pet stores, and even young rehoming listings can end in a surprise. You have no idea where the baby came from or what type of parents produced it. Only buy from breeders that you can talk to about morphing, or breeders that at the very least have shining reviews.