Amphibians - Animal Questions.org

Are Axolotls Good Pets to Own?

axolotl as pets Yes, they are. The axolotl is a type of aquatic salamander native to Mexico. Although these amphibians are exotic animals, they are easy to care for and make enjoyable house pets. When kept in an aquarium, most axolotls have a life span of 10 to 15 years. Occasionally, these salamanders will metamorphosize into a terrestrial state.

Purchase an aquarium of at least 10 to 20 gallons to house adult axolotls. The more members of this species you have, the larger the tank should be. Juveniles tends to be cannibalistic, so keep them separate until they are full grown. Even if a body part gets bitten off, however, these salamanders have amazing regenerative properties and can grow back the area over time.

Because the skin and gills of these salamanders is soft and sensitive, frequent handling is not recommended. Owners should pay strict attention to the axolotls’ water quality. Axolotls do best with filtered water that does not have any chlorine or chloramines. Replace about 20 percent of the water weekly. Use a siphon occasionally to clean the bottom of the tank and maintain water quality.

Feed axolotls a steady diet of brine shrimp, small pieces of beef, commercial earthworms, bloodworms, tubifex worms, or commercial fish pellets

Are Newts Poisonous?

Newts are generally a safe pet, however there are a few species that are known to carry salmonella, and other species are in fact poisonous, but only if consumed. The brightly colored bellies of a newt are one way to tip a person off to their toxicity. However you are not really at risk unless you plan to do something dumb like lick or eat the newt. In which case, you would notice a horrible burning sensation and most likely experience vomiting.

We know this information thanks to a few drunken idiots who have eaten newts in the past. However this is really no laughing matter, do not be mistaken a newt’s poison is enough to kill you. Within 20 minutes to three hours of ingesting a newt one will typically begin experiencing symptoms of toxic effects. These may appear as hypertension, respiratory paralysis, and nerve unresponsiveness. Less extreme responses may include numbness and/or tingling. Though paralyzed, victims of this toxicity will still remain conscious and is caused by site specific binding of TTX to voltage gated sodium ion channels in the nervous tissues. Any binding extracellular pore opening of this channel inactivates it, blocking sodium ion flow.

Those with extreme doses of TTX can expect cardiac arrhythmia to occur and as a secondary effect of this toxicity, is the inability of brain cells to receive oxygen properly. This results in a lightheaded feeling and overall weakness. The only recommendation for treatment in this case is assisted respiration.

In general, it is safe to keep newts as pet as long as nobody is eating them. The newt will not be able to hurt you or its tank mates unless ingested. It is especially important to not keep newts as pets around children, other animals, or drunken idiots. If you know somebody who ingests a newt then the poison control center should be contacted immediately and/or they should be driven to an emergency room to seek treatment. This is a very serious matter.

Can Toads Give You Warts?

That toads can give you warts is a common myth that probably originated due to the many bumps located on their skin that somewhat resemble warts. The large bumps located behind the toad’s ears are known as paratoid glands and contain a nasty poison. Not only do these taste bad but they also irritate the mouth of any predator who tries to eat the toad. This can cause many symptoms including but not limited to convulsions and even death. You should always be careful when handling toads and as a general rule of thumb it is good to always wash your hands before and after handling these creatures. However there is no need to worry about getting warts from a toad.

Neither toads nor frogs can give warts to humans. This is because Warts are actually benign squamous neoplasms, which can be caused by a virus. This virus can be only be passed from person to person, i.e. toads and frogs do not carry it.

Most people come in contact with the virus that causes warts without knowing it, for instance a person might come in contact with it by accidently cutting himself on something or by accidently touching a wart that is located on another person’s body. Most warts are easily treatable and nothing serious to fret about.

Are Mudpuppies Poisonous?

The mudpuppy or waterdog is one of the largest salamander species within existence today and is also fully aquatic. They are named due to the dog bark like vocalized noises that they make, and are one of the few salamander species that is actually able to make vocalized noises. These creatures are often assumed to be poisonous; however this is a mistaken assumption and holds no truth.

Can Salamanders Lose Their Tails?

Some species of salamanders have an amazing adaptation known as autotomy. These means that if something or someone snags the tail of this creature, it can make it fall off and regenerate a new one later. Some salamanders have even been able to regenerate legs, parts of their spinal cord, organs, lower jaws, eyes and hearts. At first the new tail or body part when it regenerates may look pale in comparison to the rest of the salamander, but give it some time and eventually the colors will match again perfectly.

If a salamander gets into a fight with a predator it may sacrifice its tail or another part of its body and will regenerate a new one within a few weeks. In fact salamanders are among the highest order of animals that are capable of regererating body parts. This regeneration process involves shuffling around cells at the wound site and assigning them a new specialization.

Within a few hours of losing a body part such as a tail, the salamander’s epidermal cells in the area migrate to cover the open flesh. That layer of cells then gradually thickens in the following days and forms the apical epithelial cap. Cells within the salamander’s tissues called fibroblasts also congregate beneath this epidermal covering. These fibroblasts are undifferentiated which means that they are free to become multiple types of cells depending on which body part the salamander needs to replace.

After this initial phase passes, the blastema develops from the mass of fibroblasts and will eventually become the replacement body part. Interestingly enough researchers recently discovered that the expression of a protein called nAG is what kick starts the blastema growth. This blastema is in turn sort of similar to a mass of human stem cells in that it has the potential to grow into various limbs, organs, and tissues. What is even more astounding is how the salamander knows which body part needs replacing. The genetic coding in the blastema contains a positional memory about the location and type of missing body part. This data is stored in the Hox genes and in the fibroblast cells.

While all of this is busy happening, blood vessels otherwise known as capillaries are regenerating into the blastema. As these blastema cells divide and begin to multiply, the resulting mass becomes a bud of undifferentiated cells. In order for that mound to become a full fledged limb, tail, or what have you, it must receive stimulation from nerves. However, when salamanders drop their tails, they not only lose flesh, they also lose nerves. That means that nerve axon regeneration is also happening at the wound site in tandem with tissue, bone, and muscle regeneration.

It is from there that these cells differentiate and create the appropriate body part that needs to be replaced. As part of the positional memory located in the fibroblast cells, the blastema knows to grow in the proper sequence to avoid defective regeneration. For example, if a salamander loses a foot at its ankle, the blastema will develop outward to form a foot rather than an entire leg.

Are Frogs Cold Blooded or Warm Blooded?

Frogs are cold blooded animals that become colder or warmer depending on the temperature outside. When the sun sets at night, their bodies are likely to be cooler because it is less warm out. When the sun is out however, their bodies soak up the heat and make them warmer. Amphibians were the first vertebrates to live on land and like their cold blooded ancestors they depend on their external energy sources such as the sun to maintain a stable body temperature.

Reptiles on the other hand are ectotherms and obtain their heat from outside sources such as the sun and regulate their temperature through behaviors such as basking or seeking shade. Their body temperatures are usually about the same as their ambient surrounding’s temperature.

Are Toads Poisonous to Humans?

All toads have lumps on the back of their heads, these lumps are known as paratoid glands that produce a chemical substance. In some toads what this means is that it makes them taste horrible to the predator that is trying to eat it. A few species on every continent however have been known to produce highly toxic substances that can be harmful to humans. They secrete the substance in self defense.

The skin of the adult cane toad is toxic. This particular species of toad also has paratoid glands located behind the eyes and others across its back. When these toads feel threatened, their glands secrete a milky white fluid known as bufotoxin. Components of this toxin are poisonous to many animals and it is true that there have even been human deaths due to the consumption of these toads.

Bufotenin is classified as a class 1 drug under Australian law right alongside drugs such as heroin. It is though that the effects of bufotenin are similar to that of mild poisoning: the stimulation which includes mild hallucinations that last for less than an hour. All stages of a cane toad’s life cycle are toxic. The poison produced by its glands act dangerously upon the heart. Quite a few humans have died in countries around the world from consuming the creature in toad soup or from consuming boiled toad eggs. A cane toad responds to threat by turning on its side so that its paratoid glands are directed towards its predator. The poison then usually oozes out of the glands, however these toads can also squirt a fine spray of it for a short distance if they are handled roughly. The poison is then absorbed through mucous membranes such as the eyes, mouth, and nose. In humans this toxin has been known to cause intense pain, temporary blindness and inflammation.

These toads are poisonous to pets and several dogs have been known to die after ingesting the toads. Signs of poisoning include profuse salivation, twitching, vomiting, shallow breating, collapse of the hind limbs, etc. Cardiac arrest and death can even occur within a mere 15 minutes or so after ingesting the toad.

First aid treatment for this type of situation includes washing the infected area with a lot of water. Seeking medical attention if the symptoms persist is crucial. When handling any toad, it is a good rule of thumb to always protect the eyes, wear gloves, and thoroughly wash your hands before and after touching the animal.

Do Mudpuppies Hibernate?

Mudpuppies do not hibernate. They do however reproduce in a rather unusual way. These creatures mate in the fall and the female then waits until spring to lay her eggs. The male then joins the female mudpuppy in a sheltered area, perhaps under a rock or lock located in shallow water. The male mudpuppy then begins the courtship taking part in a type of swimming ceremony.

As he swims and crawls around the female mudpuppy, he deposits a mass of jelly like sperm which the female then moves over top of and takes them into her cloaca. In April or May she will then deposit anywhere from 50 to 100 eggs within a nest that she digs out under rocks or sticks in the water.

After she lays these eggs it usually takes anywhere from 30 to 50 days for them to hatch. During this time the female mudpuppy stays with her nest until they eggs hatch, but will then swim away once the babies emerge during their larval stage.

The larva mudpuppies will begin to grow legs when they are about a month old. It will be a light color with dark gray stripes and unlike most amphibians does not go through the metamorphosis during this larval stage that allows them to exist outside of the water. It is for this reason that the mudpuppy is confined to be a completely aquatic creature during all stages of its life. The mudpuppy also retains its three sets of gills into adulthood.

These creatures take up to two years or so to reach their full adult size and it is then that they lose their stripes. It reaches sexual maturity within 5 years and can then live for an additional 25 years or so. The adult mudpuppy lives under rocks and logs within the water and has been seen at depths up to 70 feet. These creatures on average will reach a length anywhere from 8 to 13 inches, one of the largest mudpuppies ever discovered was a whopping 19 inches.

Do Salamanders Shed Their Skin?

Salamanders are amphibians that shed their skin several times throughout the course of their lives. It comes off and you may sometimes find it floating in or on top of the water. Sometimes the shedded skin may even have the same shape as the salamander that it came off of, including hands and feet. Salamanders consume the skin that they shed because it is a high source of protein and helps them grow. If a piece of skin does not shed and gets stuck, it can cause complications for the salamander and even restrict blood flow.

In this case it would be wise to soak the stuck skin in water and gently massage it to remove. When handling salamanders that are going through the shedding process, it is necessary to be very cautious and only handle them if it’s a necessity as too much handling can hinder the process and cause complications.

Can Frogs Give You Warts?

Frogs cannot give you warts. This is a myth that has been told for centuries that many have foolishly believed. Warts are benign squamous neoplasms, which can be caused by a virus. This virus can be only be passed from person to person, and frogs do not carry it.

Most people come in contact with the virus that causes warts without knowing it, for instance a person might come in contact with it by accidentally cutting himself on something or by accidentally touching a wart that is located on another person’s body. Most warts are easily treatable and nothing serious to fret about.

One might think that because a frog has lots of bumps on its skin, that it can spread warts. However this skin that the frog is equipped with is actually meant to camouflage these creatures during self defense and also releases a poison to its predators.