ive heard Axolotls are illegal in CA anybody know why?

[Noto]

they live native in mexico, so i wouldn't be surprised if they already have some crossing the border

They're very rare in Mexico, and only live in what's left of the lakes around Mexico City. Border crossings are unlikely.

 

[dirtyblacksocks]

California has a lot of bans on species of reptiles, amphibians and fish that don't make a ton of sense...

 

[Rass]

I live in Northern CA and they have them for sale at my LFS's all the time. I always assumed they were legal, have you checked out this law in depth?

 

[Noto]

It appears that ALL Ambystoma species are illegal in CA, if SB 1424 was passed (which I think it was): http://info.sen.ca.gov/pub/07-08/bill/sen/sb_1401-1450/sb_1424_bill_20080221_introduced.html

Most likely this is due to the aforementioned introduction of Ambystoma mavortium, which is genetically swamping native A. californiense and is also a more effective predator on other native amphibians than is A. californiense.

The presence of a species in a pet store has little to do with its legality in the state. Lots of Californians on this forum have bought illegal gars in their LFS's, and I have seen illegal turtles, crocodilians, etc. in my LFS's. You can still get in big trouble for owning them; unfair maybe, but it still happens.

 

[bdevilcasey]

Yeah, Ive see a lot of illegal species all over all the time. Its just a matter of being willing to take the risk.

 

[Jamieishard]

im not sure of the issue of if there are or are no illegal but i have 3 and there awesome to have...i hope you can have them!!

 

[swede]

true, like said above, cali has many bans. you can't even get a lot of the meds in cali

 

[Rass]

Noto- I didn't mean that a LFS having them made them legal, I was just wondering if he had checked deeper into the law because I hadn't. I know what you mean about the gars, I was one of those people who bought one of them LOL! I never did figure out what species it was exactly, I thought it may have been a hybrid and that's why I had such a hard time I.D.ing it.

 

[sykofrenic]

they dont seem like they would be invasive, and theyd definitley be killed quickly in the wild because of their slow movements and soft bodies..

thats exactly why theyre HIGHLY endangered in the wild, and we cant have captive bred albino ones breeding with the very few wild axolotls left.

 

[rnocera]

I know this is a dead discussion, but on a side note here- all albino axolotls are actually hybrids with Eastern tiger salamanders. A scientist bred an albino Eastern tiger with an axolotl years ago to introduce the gene- I believe it was in the 50s.


And Noto had it right on- axolotls are illegal because Tiger salamander intergrades (meaning any of the Ambystoma species) are hardier & breed stronger than any of the true bloodlines of species. It's become a big problem with a lot of groups in the wild, not just with the Californian tigers. It's also one of the reasons I'd never want to live in California! I love my axies, and I can't see myself giving them up.