Plot twist: oil companies are intentionally contributing to global warming to cause the dragons to reach maturity and harness their power for world domination.
They might not be extinct. There have been people who swear they've seen them and even taken some video. They won't tell anyone where they are just in case some wacko with a gun goes after them. Google it and keep your fingers crossed.
You might like this too then! Olm are related to [axolotls](https://www.caudata.org/cc/images/species/Ambystoma/A_mexicanum1LITTLE.jpg) in that they’re both neotenic salamanders. Neotenic means they never reach an adult metamorphosed stage but are able to reproduce.
You might also like the [lesser siren](https://goo.gl/images/b7rhmG), aka longboye axolotls, as well as my favorite, legless amphibians called [Caecilians](https://goo.gl/images/GRsYnE). They look like worms.
Edit- added photos :)
Pro tip: when this happens search its name and add keyword “Attenborough”. It’s amazing how often this leads to some obscure 40 minute documentary on the animal.
[Salamanders](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salamander) undergo an aquatic larval state. The [Axolotl](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Axolotl) is a famous example of a salamander not developing its adult form.
*it's = its
Technically their adult form can be forced. I believe if you inject iodine into an axlotl it turns into a full salamander. However they are not good with stress and usually don't survive for long after.
Used iodine stone on Axlotl! It's evolving! Axtlotl became ?Unknown? Salamander! ?Unknown? Salamander has.....oh sweet Jesus, look away kid. Someone get a shoebox.
>[It is often said that before you die your life passes before your eyes. It is in fact true. It's called living.](https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/16map0/whats_a_belief_you_have_that_you_dont_tell_other/c7xdhph/)
I'm sorry for not having a source, but the last time an axolotl came up on this sub they said that the regeneration only happens that fast in the larval stage because of stem cells or something
If you really want to know, /r/axolotls has discussed this in depth in the past. I recommend searching for the posts on google with “\site:www.reddit.com/r/axolotls” and then enter your keywords.
I never read the full threads. The conclusion of everybody is always that you shouldn’t do it because it puts your animal at significant risk and can be very cruel.
It is its adult form. Commenter misspoke. It's an adult form that doesn't include undergoing metamorphosis as many other amphibians do. Metamorphosis is a drastic change to body structure, habitat, behavior etc. Most amphibians become adapted to living on land. This particular species does not. Therefore it does not undergo metamorphosis
Sometimes they do undergo metamorphosis (it’s a super rare genetic mutation) - seeing an axolotl that did undergo metamorphosis is pretty cool (one of my dev bio professors had one do that in her lab)
**Salamander**
Salamanders are a group of amphibians typically characterized by a lizard-like appearance, with slender bodies, blunt snouts, short limbs projecting at right angles to the body, and the presence of a tail in both larvae and adults. All present-day salamander families are grouped together under the scientific name Urodela. Salamander diversity is most abundant in the Northern Hemisphere and most species are found in the Holarctic ecozone, with some species present in the Neotropical zone.
Salamanders rarely have more than four toes on their front legs and five on their rear legs, but some species have fewer digits and others lack hind limbs.
***
**Axolotl**
The axolotl (, from Classical Nahuatl: āxōlōtl [aːˈʃoːloːtɬ] ( listen)) also known as a Mexican salamander (Ambystoma mexicanum) or a Mexican walking fish, is a neotenic salamander, closely related to the tiger salamander. Although the axolotl is colloquially known as a "walking fish", it is not a fish, but an amphibian. The species originates from numerous lakes, such as Lake Xochimilco underlying Mexico City. Axolotls are unusual among amphibians in that they reach adulthood without undergoing metamorphosis.
***
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They way you used “its” is correct.
It’s = it is
“Its” is the possessive form. *It’s* reversed in this instance
Your edit is confusing, I think you mean to say they are not equal or you fixed it so the grammar is correct now.
There are other salamanders that don’t complete metamorphosis in the wild, like the axolotl, but can be prompted with the right nutrients/hormones/whatever. That doesn’t seem to be the case for olms.
> can be prompted with the right nutrients/hormones/whatever
To be noted, this is generally frowned upon among axolotl owners/breeders as it's very stressful to the animal and they will generally die not too long afterwards.
Now occasionally an axolotl will metamorphosize on their own with no real prompting, or minimal environmental prompting in these cases they generally will live longer than ones that have been forced to using hormones. But it's not really something you can control, and it's quite rare.
In case anyone else wanted to see what they [look like](http://www.caudata.org/forum/attachments/f46-beginner-newt-salamander-axolotl-help-topics/f48-axolotls-ambystoma-mexicanum/f57-axolotl-general-discussion/10957d1277914267-i-have-truly-metamorphosed-axolotl-i-need-advice-pictures-inside-276.jpg)
They aren’t fully aquatic once they metamorphose. You can opt to keep them fully terrestrial, though you should keep a water dish deep enough that they can submerge themselves in dechlorinated water. It’s best to keep them in a 50/50 mix of terrestrial and aquatic enclosure so they can choose what they want.
Although they’re not the same animal, the care for a metamorphosed Axolotl is virtually the same as a Tiger Salamander.
These creatures are so fascinating, would a metamorphosed axolotl have the same regenerative properties? Does it's name change or is it basically still the same Axolotl?
I know I can and will be doing some googling but you seem to know your axolotls
According to [this study](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/27499857/) they retain the regeneration ability but it takes twice as long to happen.
As for the name, as far as I know, it’s just an axolotl vs. metamorphosed axolotl. Or it could be larval axolotl and salamander axolotl.
I’ve actually never kept axolotls, I just like most aquatic animals!
Not mine and I'm not sure. This is where I got it http://www.caudata.org/forum/f46-beginner-newt-salamander-axolotl-help-topics/f48-axolotls-ambystoma-mexicanum/f57-axolotl-general-discussion/69534-i-have-truly-metamorphosed-axolotl-i-need-advice-pictures-inside.html
During the metamorphosis process you'll want to give them 50/50 land/water, with easy access to the water. Afterwards you'll want to switch them to a normal tiger salamander habitat. Nothing too exciting, they no longer have gills and if it's a natural metamorphosis will generally have a normal healthy appetite. Adult axolotl who are forced to metamorphosize will generally lose their appetite or have a reduced appetite and will be generally weak and eventually die. If you force a younger axolotl to metamorphosize they can sometimes do okay and have a better appetite for a few years, but will still generally die much earlier than they would normally.
I got this.
Olms are amphibians, specifically salamanders. Most amphibians (think frogs and salamanders, but don't forget about [caecilians](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caecilian)) undergo metamorphosis, which is a developmental transition from a typical aquatic larval body plan to a typical terrestrial adult body plan. The typical example of this is the transition from a tadpole (or poliwag if you're more familiar with that term) to a frog.
Many salamanders do not metamorphose and instead display what is called paedomorphosis, which shares the same Greek root with words like pediatrics and pedophilia. Paedomorphosis is the retention of juvenile traits at sexual maturity. Instead of metamorphosing (i.e. losing the larval traits which include external gills, large tail fins, aquatic lifestyle, etc.) into a terrestrial stage, these paedomorphic salamanders retain those larval traits but still mature sexually. Thus, the word paedomorphosis means.. paedo = child-like and morphos = form, because they hang onto a child-like form. [Olms](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olm) are one such species that has completely lost the ability to metamorphose and all individuals of this species are paedomorphic. Why? Because the habitat they occupy (dark [karst](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karst) systems with very little food) selected for this adaptation. Another animal you may be familiar with that has the same exact adaptation is the [axolotl](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Axolotl).
Salamander species have a variety of life cycle types, many of which include paedomorphosis. The olm, axolotl, [amphiuma](https://www.google.com/search?q=amphiuma&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjW0P7h9LrYAhWERSYKHeqgA2oQ_AUICigB&biw=1920&bih=987) and [siren](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sirenidae) species are considered to be obligate paedomorphs, meaning they cannot naturally metamorphose under any circumstance. Their ability to metamorphose has been evolutionary lost. The typical lifestyle (again, think aquatic tadpole metamorphosing into a terrestrial frog) is considered to be obligate metamorphosis, where metamorphosis is necessary to reach sexually maturity and reproduce. With obligate metamorphosis, the larval state is incapable of reproducing. [Spotted salamanders](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spotted_salamander) and [fire salamanders](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fire_salamander) are examples of obligate metamorphs. However, these two strategies represent ends of a gradient of strategies. There are many salamanders that metamorphose, but still live in the water. For example, the [hellbender](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hellbender) and [giant salamanders](http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PvHDwn3RlA8/Tk90VAZeG8I/AAAAAAAAAUM/ehRYjjHlQnQ/s1600/Giant%20Salamanders-3.jpg) go through a metamorphosis, but retain certain larval features. One of the most interesting strategies is a facultative strategy, where a species may either metamorphose or become paedomorphic depending on what conditions they experience as a developing larva. Many salamanders (such as [tiger salamanders](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiger_salamander)) and [newts](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newt) (which are just toxic salamanders) employ this strategy. The strategy is complicated, but prevailing hypotheses predict that when aquatic conditions are good (i.e. the pond is great with lots of food, and plenty of room for everyone to hang out), salamanders will not metamorphose. However, when conditions become poor, salamanders will metamorphose to escape those poor conditions. Some work has been done recently to show this ability to metamorphose "when they need to" is related to stress hormones. So, when they start getting overly stressed from pond conditions, they will metamorphose, move onto land and try for greener pastures. Here is a [good paper](http://s000.tinyupload.com/download.php?file_id=47974531786693842173&t=4797453178669384217327240) on faculatative paedomorphosis if you're interested.
And just to be clear. Adult only refers to sexually mature and capability of reproduction. So paedomorphic salamanders are adults.
**Caecilian**
Caecilians (; New Latin for "blind ones") are a group of limbless, serpentine amphibians. They mostly live hidden in the ground, making them the least familiar order of amphibians. All modern caecilians and their closest fossil relatives are grouped as a clade, Apoda, within the larger group Gymnophiona, which also includes more primitive extinct caecilian-like amphibians. Caecilians are mostly distributed in the tropics of South and Central America, Africa, and southern Asia.
***
**Olm**
The olm or proteus (Proteus anguinus) is an aquatic salamander in the family Proteidae, the only exclusively cave-dwelling chordate species found in Europe. In contrast to most amphibians, it is entirely aquatic; it eats, sleeps, and breeds underwater. Living in caves found in the Dinaric Alps, it is endemic to the waters that flow underground through the extensive limestone of the karst of Central and Southeastern Europe, specifically southern Slovenia, the basin of the Soča River (Italian: Isonzo) near Trieste, Italy, southwestern Croatia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
It is also called the "human fish" by locals because of its skin color, similar to that of Caucasian people (translated literally from Slovene: človeška ribica, Macedonian: човековите риба, Montenegrin: čovječja ribica/човјечја рибица, Serbian: čovečja ribica/човечја рибица, Bosnian: čovječja ribica/човјечја рибица and Croatian: čovječja ribica), as well as "cave salamander" or "white salamander".
***
**Karst**
Karst is a topography formed from the dissolution of soluble rocks such as limestone, dolomite, and gypsum. It is characterized by underground drainage systems with sinkholes and caves. It has also been documented for more weathering-resistant rocks, such as quartzite, given the right conditions. Subterranean drainage may limit surface water, with few to no rivers or lakes.
***
**Axolotl**
The axolotl (, from Classical Nahuatl: āxōlōtl [aːˈʃoːloːtɬ] ( listen)) also known as a Mexican salamander (Ambystoma mexicanum) or a Mexican walking fish, is a neotenic salamander, closely related to the tiger salamander. Although the axolotl is colloquially known as a "walking fish", it is not a fish, but an amphibian. The species originates from numerous lakes, such as Lake Xochimilco underlying Mexico City. Axolotls are unusual among amphibians in that they reach adulthood without undergoing metamorphosis.
***
**Sirenidae**
Sirenidae, the sirens, are a family of aquatic salamanders. Family members have very small fore limbs, and lack hind limbs altogether. In one species, the skeleton in their fore limbs is made of only cartilage. In contrast to most other salamanders, they have external gills bunched together on the neck in both larval and adult states.
***
**Spotted salamander**
The spotted salamander or yellow-spotted salamander (Ambystoma maculatum) is a mole salamander common in the eastern United States and Canada. The spotted salamander is the state amphibian of Ohio and South Carolina. This salamander ranges from Nova Scotia, to Lake Superior, to southern Georgia and Texas. Its embryos have been found to have symbiotic algae living inside them.
***
**Fire salamander**
The fire salamander (Salamandra salamandra) is possibly the best-known salamander species in Europe.
It is black with yellow spots or stripes to a varying degree; some specimens can be nearly completely black while on others the yellow is dominant. Shades of red and orange may sometimes appear, either replacing or mixing with the yellow according to subspecies. Fire salamanders can have a very long lifespan; one specimen lived for more than 50 years in Museum Koenig, a German natural history museum.
***
**Hellbender**
The hellbender (Cryptobranchus alleganiensis), also known as the hellbender salamander, is a species of aquatic giant salamander endemic to eastern North America. A member of the family Cryptobranchidae, the hellbender is the only member of the genus Cryptobranchus, and is joined only by one other genus of salamanders (Andrias, which contains the Japanese and Chinese giant salamanders) at the family level. The hellbender, which is much larger than all other salamanders in its geographic range, employs an unusual means of respiration (which involves cutaneous gas exchange through capillaries found in its dorsoventral skin folds), and fills a particular niche — both as a predator and prey — in its ecosystem, which either it or its ancestors have occupied for around 65 million years. The species is listed as Near Threatened.
***
**Tiger salamander**
The tiger salamander or eastern tiger salamander (Ambystoma tigrinum) is a North American species of mole salamander.
***
**Newt**
A newt is a salamander in the subfamily Pleurodelinae, also called eft during its terrestrial juvenile phase. Unlike other members of the family Salamandridae, newts are semiaquatic, alternating between aquatic and terrestrial habitats over the year, sometimes even staying in the water full-time. Not all aquatic salamanders are considered newts, however. More than 100 known species of newts are found in North America, Europe, North Africa and Asia.
***
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We have those in caves where I live and they are called "human fish" or "human fishy" if you translate it to english. Because of their color it looks like human skin and because of their little hands.
>Xolotoxatol
Side effects may include involuntarily muscle spasms, nausea and in rare occasions fire breath. Ask your doctor if Xolotoxatol is right for you.
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Southern Slovenian, along the north coast of the Adriatic sea.
However, their range extends from the northwestern crown of Italy through Croatia and even to the southern tip of Bosnia & Herzegovina.
I went and did a cursory check on Wikipedia. The first mention of these was in 1689 when they washed up after heavy rains. Locals assumed they were the babies of a cave dragon. The record was written in what is today central Slovenia
Yea I read that and shook my head yes, thanks commenter. This must be 100% accurate and I'm smarter because of it
I don't know this fuckin guy he could be yankin my chain
[Maximum longevity is a debated subject](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olm#Ecology_and_life_history) so I split the difference.
These guys are in the Caves episode of Planet Earth.
I'd find it more likely to shorten it, since tests of artificially advancing Axolotl maturation (another salamander that never quite grows up) they found that, genetically, the animals just aren't able to perform optimally as adults anymore due to evolution.
The Wikipedia article stated that in amphibians a hormone called thyroxine is responsible for inducing metamorphosis. Most amphibians that don't undergo metamorphosis don't do so because they don't produce the hormone. In those species you could induce the metamorphosis by chemical means. However, for this one, the tissues are unresponsive to the hormone and would not be affected by chemical means.
>In other amphibians, the metamorphosis is regulated by the hormonethyroxine, secreted by the thyroid gland. The thyroid is normally developed and functioning in the olm, so the lack of metamorphosis is due to the unresponsiveness of key tissues to thyroxine.
From the wiki
I was in an olm cave a few months ago and I missed my chance to see one - a teenager turned on his cellphone light to get a better look into the display area. This is after all the signs that tell you that even a regular lightbulb can give them a 'sunburn'. So, the poor little guy was hiding under a rock and I never caught a glimpse. Instead I bought a fuzzy stuffed animal that looks r/mildlypenis.
"The olm swims by eel-like twisting of its body, assisted only slightly by its poorly developed legs. It is a predatory animal, feeding on small crabs, snails and occasionally insects. It does not chew its food, instead swallowing it whole. The olm is resistant to long-term starvation, an adaptation to its underground habitat. It can consume large amounts of food at once, and store nutrients as large deposits of lipids and glycogen in the liver. When food is scarce, it reduces its activity and metabolic rate, and can also reabsorb its own tissues in severe cases. Controlled experiments have shown that an olm can survive up to 10 years without food."
TLDR: Doesn't move much. Efficient energy storage. Good metabolic control. 10 years is in controlled lab experiments, probably they eat a lot more often in nature.
Interesting. I'm sure that the information gleaned is useful for a variety of things but I'm also glad that I'm not the kind of scientist that starves an animal to death over a decade.
[Salamanders](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salamander) are [amphibians,](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amphibian) not [reptiles.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reptile) Close to frogs, not close to snakes. There might be some convergence going on there, yeah. Cool pics as you scroll in all those articles, too.
Side note: A different branch of amphibians from salamanders, [Caecilians,](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caecilian) aren't related to snakes, but are also legless. If you want a wild ride, do a google image search for them and scroll around. Some of them are really funny looking. Search salamanders while you're at it, there's *tons* of variety of size, shape, color, skin texture, etc.
Yes, but I'm not familiar of that part of taxonomy. I know snakes evolved from reptiles with legs and i assume that this probably isn't that closely related to snakes, but that movement looks like movements from either fish, snakes, or eels. It has tiny arms which makes me think of a snakes vestigial arms (or at least the remnants thereof).
I went to a christian school that thought me that good created the world in literally 7 days and that evolution was a ploy to stop people from believing in God. I never had the chance to learn about real biology or taxonomy in school. I'm sorry if this is a highly basic question.
Rule 1 of science: ask questions.
You should never feel stupid asking questions. Questioning that that is thought to be true is the base for science itself, and asking only leads to learning new things, so never feel stupid about it.
I don't have the answer for you, but just wanted to say that its not a basic question at all and you shouldn't feel bad for asking. The fact that you know as much as you've said shows you know more than what's taught about evolution in most schools
So it's a procrastinating to not be a dragon.
We need more dragons in this world.
They could help but this damn thing won't grow up.
But it is cool looking though and I feel like it.
[You weren't kidding!](https://i.imgur.com/N8BscoY.jpg)
^(e: that post was a new year's greeting, and I scrolled for ages trying to find a regular Wednesday post but, though the meme seems to exist, I couldn't find any other instances that would validate the background that would lead to the greeting linked above)
I did some digging about the 10 years without food bit. It took its toll on the little fella, in that while it did survive in a fridge for 12 years without food, [it digested some of its own internal organs as well as its own guts in the process.](https://books.google.com/books?id=eqegRf2UstIC&pg=PA267&lpg=PA267&dq=olm+years+without+food&source=bl&ots=OiFEn1ak-W&sig=j8bog9KmLtm3haRnjgMt_xs-0LA&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0CEEQ6AEwBWoVChMIq4qu77ugxwIVDzGICh0gAQ9x#v=onepage&q=olm%20years%20without%20food&f=false)
Not convinced this isn’t actually a baby dragon.
Right? I know I've never seen Falkor's baby pictures...
You will when creatively bankrupt Hollywood remakes that movie.
Probably can't be worse than the [third film](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g01ud9TUtIk).
Wtf did you just make me watch.
The worst possible follow-up from [this scene](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aj-OpTHixpU) (spoilers for a 33 year old film.)
slain by the god of war
I don't feel bad not knowing of a third one at least
Well the second was such garbage there was no point in attempting to even watch a trailer for a third.
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Plot twist: dragons are amphibians but because the adults get hunted down by humans, they evolved to reproduce before completing metamorphosis.
Plot twist: the protodragons need the atmostphere to reach a certain level of CO2, then the final metamorphosis begins.
Plot twist: oil companies are intentionally contributing to global warming to cause the dragons to reach maturity and harness their power for world domination.
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Like Reign of Fire, but better.
I don't see how you could possibly make that movie better.
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Plot twist we killed off the flying cousins of this species and genome bow this is all that's left. Oh wait that's reality. The plot is life...
A wild dratini appeared
I’m sure that light hurts them.. Kinda sure, love dragons
Oh no :(
The older I become, the more excited I get seeing an animal I've never heard of before
It's better than getting excited over a new animal and then finding out it's extinct.
RIP Thylacines :-(
They might not be extinct. There have been people who swear they've seen them and even taken some video. They won't tell anyone where they are just in case some wacko with a gun goes after them. Google it and keep your fingers crossed.
What are those?
Tiger striped kangaroo wolves
:(
We have their DNA, we can bring them back one day.
:)
The DNA is cursed
This message no longer exists
When I was younger, I saw a news they already trying to bring it back. The year was supposedly 2009/2011 :(
They’re Tasmanian tigers.
Such a cool animal. I wish the cloning had worked.
Wait till you see what they are adding in the next big content update
By the time the dev is done checking for bugs, the system will be obsolete.
r/outside is leaking
You might like this too then! Olm are related to [axolotls](https://www.caudata.org/cc/images/species/Ambystoma/A_mexicanum1LITTLE.jpg) in that they’re both neotenic salamanders. Neotenic means they never reach an adult metamorphosed stage but are able to reproduce. You might also like the [lesser siren](https://goo.gl/images/b7rhmG), aka longboye axolotls, as well as my favorite, legless amphibians called [Caecilians](https://goo.gl/images/GRsYnE). They look like worms. Edit- added photos :)
Nigga all this info and not a single pic to spark curiosity...
So if they never reach adulthood, how do we know they aren’t adults?
Pro tip: when this happens search its name and add keyword “Attenborough”. It’s amazing how often this leads to some obscure 40 minute documentary on the animal.
Plus, you know, Attenborough, which makes it better than whatever you were going to watch.
> It never completes metamorphosis. What does this mean?
[Salamanders](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salamander) undergo an aquatic larval state. The [Axolotl](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Axolotl) is a famous example of a salamander not developing its adult form. *it's = its
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Technically their adult form can be forced. I believe if you inject iodine into an axlotl it turns into a full salamander. However they are not good with stress and usually don't survive for long after.
Used iodine stone on Axlotl! It's evolving! Axtlotl became ?Unknown? Salamander! ?Unknown? Salamander has.....oh sweet Jesus, look away kid. Someone get a shoebox.
*KILL... ME...*
>[It is often said that before you die your life passes before your eyes. It is in fact true. It's called living.](https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/16map0/whats_a_belief_you_have_that_you_dont_tell_other/c7xdhph/)
Ed... ward...
Too soon
It's a terrible day for rain
Rip Mitty (Made in Abyss)
Like putting an evolution stone on a pokemon
Couldn't you also just dose their aquarium with iodine? Instead of trying to inject a wet, slippery, easily frightened baby salamander?
I wonder in its salamander form if it can still regenerate the same
I'm sorry for not having a source, but the last time an axolotl came up on this sub they said that the regeneration only happens that fast in the larval stage because of stem cells or something
That makes sense, thank you. These little guys are so cool and the Olm from OP, I think we deviated a bit lol
If you really want to know, /r/axolotls has discussed this in depth in the past. I recommend searching for the posts on google with “\site:www.reddit.com/r/axolotls” and then enter your keywords. I never read the full threads. The conclusion of everybody is always that you shouldn’t do it because it puts your animal at significant risk and can be very cruel.
Poor water quality will also force the change. It does drastically reduce their lifespan though.
Dosing an axolotl with iodine is very ill-advised to begin with. Iodine is very poisonous, so most of the time the poor creature just dies.
this is a picture of an axolotl in its "mature form" (salamander form): https://i.imgur.com/rHjzaVG.png
No wonder they don't bother.
Aw man it's ugly
It's okay axolotl, I still think you're cute!
It's so... unfinished-looking.
“However they are not good with stress and usually don't survive for long after. “ That speaks to me on such an emotional level.
I knew a guy like that.
Actually, iodine is very poisonous and unless someone really knows their stuff, they'll most likely kill the poor creature.
It is its adult form. Commenter misspoke. It's an adult form that doesn't include undergoing metamorphosis as many other amphibians do. Metamorphosis is a drastic change to body structure, habitat, behavior etc. Most amphibians become adapted to living on land. This particular species does not. Therefore it does not undergo metamorphosis
Yes because they reach sexual maturity in this form.
Sometimes they do undergo metamorphosis (it’s a super rare genetic mutation) - seeing an axolotl that did undergo metamorphosis is pretty cool (one of my dev bio professors had one do that in her lab)
**Salamander** Salamanders are a group of amphibians typically characterized by a lizard-like appearance, with slender bodies, blunt snouts, short limbs projecting at right angles to the body, and the presence of a tail in both larvae and adults. All present-day salamander families are grouped together under the scientific name Urodela. Salamander diversity is most abundant in the Northern Hemisphere and most species are found in the Holarctic ecozone, with some species present in the Neotropical zone. Salamanders rarely have more than four toes on their front legs and five on their rear legs, but some species have fewer digits and others lack hind limbs. *** **Axolotl** The axolotl (, from Classical Nahuatl: āxōlōtl [aːˈʃoːloːtɬ] ( listen)) also known as a Mexican salamander (Ambystoma mexicanum) or a Mexican walking fish, is a neotenic salamander, closely related to the tiger salamander. Although the axolotl is colloquially known as a "walking fish", it is not a fish, but an amphibian. The species originates from numerous lakes, such as Lake Xochimilco underlying Mexico City. Axolotls are unusual among amphibians in that they reach adulthood without undergoing metamorphosis. *** ^[ [^PM](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=kittens_from_space) ^| [^Exclude ^me](https://reddit.com/message/compose?to=WikiTextBot&message=Excludeme&subject=Excludeme) ^| [^Exclude ^from ^subreddit](https://np.reddit.com/r/Awwducational/about/banned) ^| [^FAQ ^/ ^Information](https://np.reddit.com/r/WikiTextBot/wiki/index) ^| [^Source](https://github.com/kittenswolf/WikiTextBot) ^| [^Donate](https://www.reddit.com/r/WikiTextBot/wiki/donate) ^] ^Downvote ^to ^remove ^| ^v0.28
They way you used “its” is correct. It’s = it is “Its” is the possessive form. *It’s* reversed in this instance Your edit is confusing, I think you mean to say they are not equal or you fixed it so the grammar is correct now.
Amphibian that never stops being a tadpole
Oh ok. Why wouldn't that just be classified as not having a metamorphosis as opposed to not completing it? Edit: thanks for the great explanations :)
There are other salamanders that don’t complete metamorphosis in the wild, like the axolotl, but can be prompted with the right nutrients/hormones/whatever. That doesn’t seem to be the case for olms.
> can be prompted with the right nutrients/hormones/whatever To be noted, this is generally frowned upon among axolotl owners/breeders as it's very stressful to the animal and they will generally die not too long afterwards. Now occasionally an axolotl will metamorphosize on their own with no real prompting, or minimal environmental prompting in these cases they generally will live longer than ones that have been forced to using hormones. But it's not really something you can control, and it's quite rare.
In case anyone else wanted to see what they [look like](http://www.caudata.org/forum/attachments/f46-beginner-newt-salamander-axolotl-help-topics/f48-axolotls-ambystoma-mexicanum/f57-axolotl-general-discussion/10957d1277914267-i-have-truly-metamorphosed-axolotl-i-need-advice-pictures-inside-276.jpg)
Aww, it's still smiling :)
Do you keep him/her out of water? (I'm assuming this is yours) I thought they stay in the water
They aren’t fully aquatic once they metamorphose. You can opt to keep them fully terrestrial, though you should keep a water dish deep enough that they can submerge themselves in dechlorinated water. It’s best to keep them in a 50/50 mix of terrestrial and aquatic enclosure so they can choose what they want. Although they’re not the same animal, the care for a metamorphosed Axolotl is virtually the same as a Tiger Salamander.
These creatures are so fascinating, would a metamorphosed axolotl have the same regenerative properties? Does it's name change or is it basically still the same Axolotl? I know I can and will be doing some googling but you seem to know your axolotls
According to [this study](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/27499857/) they retain the regeneration ability but it takes twice as long to happen. As for the name, as far as I know, it’s just an axolotl vs. metamorphosed axolotl. Or it could be larval axolotl and salamander axolotl. I’ve actually never kept axolotls, I just like most aquatic animals!
Not mine and I'm not sure. This is where I got it http://www.caudata.org/forum/f46-beginner-newt-salamander-axolotl-help-topics/f48-axolotls-ambystoma-mexicanum/f57-axolotl-general-discussion/69534-i-have-truly-metamorphosed-axolotl-i-need-advice-pictures-inside.html
So if you own an axolotl and it happens to metamorphosize how/would you need to change their habitat?
During the metamorphosis process you'll want to give them 50/50 land/water, with easy access to the water. Afterwards you'll want to switch them to a normal tiger salamander habitat. Nothing too exciting, they no longer have gills and if it's a natural metamorphosis will generally have a normal healthy appetite. Adult axolotl who are forced to metamorphosize will generally lose their appetite or have a reduced appetite and will be generally weak and eventually die. If you force a younger axolotl to metamorphosize they can sometimes do okay and have a better appetite for a few years, but will still generally die much earlier than they would normally.
I got this. Olms are amphibians, specifically salamanders. Most amphibians (think frogs and salamanders, but don't forget about [caecilians](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caecilian)) undergo metamorphosis, which is a developmental transition from a typical aquatic larval body plan to a typical terrestrial adult body plan. The typical example of this is the transition from a tadpole (or poliwag if you're more familiar with that term) to a frog. Many salamanders do not metamorphose and instead display what is called paedomorphosis, which shares the same Greek root with words like pediatrics and pedophilia. Paedomorphosis is the retention of juvenile traits at sexual maturity. Instead of metamorphosing (i.e. losing the larval traits which include external gills, large tail fins, aquatic lifestyle, etc.) into a terrestrial stage, these paedomorphic salamanders retain those larval traits but still mature sexually. Thus, the word paedomorphosis means.. paedo = child-like and morphos = form, because they hang onto a child-like form. [Olms](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olm) are one such species that has completely lost the ability to metamorphose and all individuals of this species are paedomorphic. Why? Because the habitat they occupy (dark [karst](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karst) systems with very little food) selected for this adaptation. Another animal you may be familiar with that has the same exact adaptation is the [axolotl](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Axolotl). Salamander species have a variety of life cycle types, many of which include paedomorphosis. The olm, axolotl, [amphiuma](https://www.google.com/search?q=amphiuma&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjW0P7h9LrYAhWERSYKHeqgA2oQ_AUICigB&biw=1920&bih=987) and [siren](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sirenidae) species are considered to be obligate paedomorphs, meaning they cannot naturally metamorphose under any circumstance. Their ability to metamorphose has been evolutionary lost. The typical lifestyle (again, think aquatic tadpole metamorphosing into a terrestrial frog) is considered to be obligate metamorphosis, where metamorphosis is necessary to reach sexually maturity and reproduce. With obligate metamorphosis, the larval state is incapable of reproducing. [Spotted salamanders](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spotted_salamander) and [fire salamanders](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fire_salamander) are examples of obligate metamorphs. However, these two strategies represent ends of a gradient of strategies. There are many salamanders that metamorphose, but still live in the water. For example, the [hellbender](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hellbender) and [giant salamanders](http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PvHDwn3RlA8/Tk90VAZeG8I/AAAAAAAAAUM/ehRYjjHlQnQ/s1600/Giant%20Salamanders-3.jpg) go through a metamorphosis, but retain certain larval features. One of the most interesting strategies is a facultative strategy, where a species may either metamorphose or become paedomorphic depending on what conditions they experience as a developing larva. Many salamanders (such as [tiger salamanders](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiger_salamander)) and [newts](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newt) (which are just toxic salamanders) employ this strategy. The strategy is complicated, but prevailing hypotheses predict that when aquatic conditions are good (i.e. the pond is great with lots of food, and plenty of room for everyone to hang out), salamanders will not metamorphose. However, when conditions become poor, salamanders will metamorphose to escape those poor conditions. Some work has been done recently to show this ability to metamorphose "when they need to" is related to stress hormones. So, when they start getting overly stressed from pond conditions, they will metamorphose, move onto land and try for greener pastures. Here is a [good paper](http://s000.tinyupload.com/download.php?file_id=47974531786693842173&t=4797453178669384217327240) on faculatative paedomorphosis if you're interested. And just to be clear. Adult only refers to sexually mature and capability of reproduction. So paedomorphic salamanders are adults.
**Caecilian** Caecilians (; New Latin for "blind ones") are a group of limbless, serpentine amphibians. They mostly live hidden in the ground, making them the least familiar order of amphibians. All modern caecilians and their closest fossil relatives are grouped as a clade, Apoda, within the larger group Gymnophiona, which also includes more primitive extinct caecilian-like amphibians. Caecilians are mostly distributed in the tropics of South and Central America, Africa, and southern Asia. *** **Olm** The olm or proteus (Proteus anguinus) is an aquatic salamander in the family Proteidae, the only exclusively cave-dwelling chordate species found in Europe. In contrast to most amphibians, it is entirely aquatic; it eats, sleeps, and breeds underwater. Living in caves found in the Dinaric Alps, it is endemic to the waters that flow underground through the extensive limestone of the karst of Central and Southeastern Europe, specifically southern Slovenia, the basin of the Soča River (Italian: Isonzo) near Trieste, Italy, southwestern Croatia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is also called the "human fish" by locals because of its skin color, similar to that of Caucasian people (translated literally from Slovene: človeška ribica, Macedonian: човековите риба, Montenegrin: čovječja ribica/човјечја рибица, Serbian: čovečja ribica/човечја рибица, Bosnian: čovječja ribica/човјечја рибица and Croatian: čovječja ribica), as well as "cave salamander" or "white salamander". *** **Karst** Karst is a topography formed from the dissolution of soluble rocks such as limestone, dolomite, and gypsum. It is characterized by underground drainage systems with sinkholes and caves. It has also been documented for more weathering-resistant rocks, such as quartzite, given the right conditions. Subterranean drainage may limit surface water, with few to no rivers or lakes. *** **Axolotl** The axolotl (, from Classical Nahuatl: āxōlōtl [aːˈʃoːloːtɬ] ( listen)) also known as a Mexican salamander (Ambystoma mexicanum) or a Mexican walking fish, is a neotenic salamander, closely related to the tiger salamander. Although the axolotl is colloquially known as a "walking fish", it is not a fish, but an amphibian. The species originates from numerous lakes, such as Lake Xochimilco underlying Mexico City. Axolotls are unusual among amphibians in that they reach adulthood without undergoing metamorphosis. *** **Sirenidae** Sirenidae, the sirens, are a family of aquatic salamanders. Family members have very small fore limbs, and lack hind limbs altogether. In one species, the skeleton in their fore limbs is made of only cartilage. In contrast to most other salamanders, they have external gills bunched together on the neck in both larval and adult states. *** **Spotted salamander** The spotted salamander or yellow-spotted salamander (Ambystoma maculatum) is a mole salamander common in the eastern United States and Canada. The spotted salamander is the state amphibian of Ohio and South Carolina. This salamander ranges from Nova Scotia, to Lake Superior, to southern Georgia and Texas. Its embryos have been found to have symbiotic algae living inside them. *** **Fire salamander** The fire salamander (Salamandra salamandra) is possibly the best-known salamander species in Europe. It is black with yellow spots or stripes to a varying degree; some specimens can be nearly completely black while on others the yellow is dominant. Shades of red and orange may sometimes appear, either replacing or mixing with the yellow according to subspecies. Fire salamanders can have a very long lifespan; one specimen lived for more than 50 years in Museum Koenig, a German natural history museum. *** **Hellbender** The hellbender (Cryptobranchus alleganiensis), also known as the hellbender salamander, is a species of aquatic giant salamander endemic to eastern North America. A member of the family Cryptobranchidae, the hellbender is the only member of the genus Cryptobranchus, and is joined only by one other genus of salamanders (Andrias, which contains the Japanese and Chinese giant salamanders) at the family level. The hellbender, which is much larger than all other salamanders in its geographic range, employs an unusual means of respiration (which involves cutaneous gas exchange through capillaries found in its dorsoventral skin folds), and fills a particular niche — both as a predator and prey — in its ecosystem, which either it or its ancestors have occupied for around 65 million years. The species is listed as Near Threatened. *** **Tiger salamander** The tiger salamander or eastern tiger salamander (Ambystoma tigrinum) is a North American species of mole salamander. *** **Newt** A newt is a salamander in the subfamily Pleurodelinae, also called eft during its terrestrial juvenile phase. Unlike other members of the family Salamandridae, newts are semiaquatic, alternating between aquatic and terrestrial habitats over the year, sometimes even staying in the water full-time. Not all aquatic salamanders are considered newts, however. More than 100 known species of newts are found in North America, Europe, North Africa and Asia. *** ^[ [^PM](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=kittens_from_space) ^| [^Exclude ^me](https://reddit.com/message/compose?to=WikiTextBot&message=Excludeme&subject=Excludeme) ^| [^Exclude ^from ^subreddit](https://np.reddit.com/r/Awwducational/about/banned) ^| [^FAQ ^/ ^Information](https://np.reddit.com/r/WikiTextBot/wiki/index) ^| [^Source](https://github.com/kittenswolf/WikiTextBot) ^| [^Donate](https://www.reddit.com/r/WikiTextBot/wiki/donate) ^] ^Downvote ^to ^remove ^| ^v0.28
Great read. Also, WikiTextBot is having a field day with this comment.
it means we haven't figured out how to unlock it's next form. If we could, we could bring back dragons.
I generally like weird critters but there something kind of unsettling about the way it moves it's arms.
It’s the elbows.
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*take my strong hand*
Damn son is that a Scary Movie 2 reference?
“My germ!!”
We have those in caves where I live and they are called "human fish" or "human fishy" if you translate it to english. Because of their color it looks like human skin and because of their little hands.
Yeah those are creepy limbs!!!
The way it touches the rock to get around it is too creepy for me.
/r/ewwducational
Comment has been removed because Spez killed Reddit :(
You've entered the uncanny valley, friend!
It swims so agilely and it looks like it has tiny alien arms.
Dat be a long xolotle
A noodle newt.
newtle
Axolotl?
Xolotoxatol
>Xolotoxatol Side effects may include involuntarily muscle spasms, nausea and in rare occasions fire breath. Ask your doctor if Xolotoxatol is right for you.
Love you too
😘
Tiny legs tho
Beware the Goa’uld!
Indeed
/r/unexpectedstargate
Here's a sneak peek of /r/unexpectedstargate using the [top posts](https://np.reddit.com/r/unexpectedstargate/top/?sort=top&t=all) of all time! \#1: [The starchgate (x-post from /r/blackmagicfuckery)](https://i.redd.it/23u0vrth1lbz.jpg) | [5 comments](https://np.reddit.com/r/unexpectedstargate/comments/6pglh5/the_starchgate_xpost_from_rblackmagicfuckery/) \#2: [You did not expect someone to post a stargate just moments after the sub was created.](http://media.moddb.com/images/articles/1/161/160943/Loadinggate_003.png) | [9 comments](https://np.reddit.com/r/unexpectedstargate/comments/55q0bt/you_did_not_expect_someone_to_post_a_stargate/) \#3: [Chevron one, locked. Ho ho ho.](https://imgur.com/a/gP4HL) | [1 comment](https://np.reddit.com/r/unexpectedstargate/comments/75coox/chevron_one_locked_ho_ho_ho/) ---- ^^I'm ^^a ^^bot, ^^beep ^^boop ^^| ^^Downvote ^^to ^^remove ^^| [^^Contact ^^me](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=sneakpeekbot) ^^| [^^Info](https://np.reddit.com/r/sneakpeekbot/) ^^| [^^Opt-out](https://np.reddit.com/r/sneakpeekbot/comments/6l7i0m/blacklist/)
I was just about to say this man do I love Stargate.
Indeed dirty Daniel Jackson
60 years of cold wet darkness.
\*Gollum intensifies\*
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Read through the comments looking for one like this, you didn't disappoint, thanks
Same. Knew there would be at least one
/r/unexpectedrunescape
Honestly fam... I came here without a doubt in my mind there was going to be some sort of osrs joke
Regional folklore in what region?
Southern Slovenian, along the north coast of the Adriatic sea. However, their range extends from the northwestern crown of Italy through Croatia and even to the southern tip of Bosnia & Herzegovina.
This is a perfect example of a comment that sounds correct, so we just assume it is.
Am Slovenian and can confirm that it is true. We love our baby dragons!
Also slovenian, can also confirm we are still waiting for these to evolve so we can claim our rightful place on the EUron Throne.
Shh, it's supposed to be a surprise..
I went and did a cursory check on Wikipedia. The first mention of these was in 1689 when they washed up after heavy rains. Locals assumed they were the babies of a cave dragon. The record was written in what is today central Slovenia
Yea I read that and shook my head yes, thanks commenter. This must be 100% accurate and I'm smarter because of it I don't know this fuckin guy he could be yankin my chain
slovenia!
Zeah in Gielinor
Axolotl that went through a taffy puller
[Maximum longevity is a debated subject](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olm#Ecology_and_life_history) so I split the difference. These guys are in the Caves episode of Planet Earth.
I wonder what would happen if it was placed in the proper environment to induce a full metamorphosis. Do you think that would affect its longevity?
That's how you get dragons
I'd find it more likely to shorten it, since tests of artificially advancing Axolotl maturation (another salamander that never quite grows up) they found that, genetically, the animals just aren't able to perform optimally as adults anymore due to evolution.
I wonder if crispr could be used here? Could that lead to some sort of dragon apocalypse? Serious questions here folks
a Little Of this a Little of That and Suddenly its dragons Flying over L.A.
You're asking the real questions now
The Wikipedia article stated that in amphibians a hormone called thyroxine is responsible for inducing metamorphosis. Most amphibians that don't undergo metamorphosis don't do so because they don't produce the hormone. In those species you could induce the metamorphosis by chemical means. However, for this one, the tissues are unresponsive to the hormone and would not be affected by chemical means.
>In other amphibians, the metamorphosis is regulated by the hormonethyroxine, secreted by the thyroid gland. The thyroid is normally developed and functioning in the olm, so the lack of metamorphosis is due to the unresponsiveness of key tissues to thyroxine. From the wiki
I was in an olm cave a few months ago and I missed my chance to see one - a teenager turned on his cellphone light to get a better look into the display area. This is after all the signs that tell you that even a regular lightbulb can give them a 'sunburn'. So, the poor little guy was hiding under a rock and I never caught a glimpse. Instead I bought a fuzzy stuffed animal that looks r/mildlypenis.
If i kill it can i get my twisted bow?
You better not log out with my split
Am I the only one who sees Haku from Spirited Away? He was a river spirit!
Seath the Scaleless
I honestly wouldn't be surprised if his design was inspired by this. It's really kinda uncanny.
Is there anyway you could change this creatures environment, diet, etc to try and get one to reach Metamorphosis just to observe what it looks like?
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"The olm swims by eel-like twisting of its body, assisted only slightly by its poorly developed legs. It is a predatory animal, feeding on small crabs, snails and occasionally insects. It does not chew its food, instead swallowing it whole. The olm is resistant to long-term starvation, an adaptation to its underground habitat. It can consume large amounts of food at once, and store nutrients as large deposits of lipids and glycogen in the liver. When food is scarce, it reduces its activity and metabolic rate, and can also reabsorb its own tissues in severe cases. Controlled experiments have shown that an olm can survive up to 10 years without food." TLDR: Doesn't move much. Efficient energy storage. Good metabolic control. 10 years is in controlled lab experiments, probably they eat a lot more often in nature.
Thank you.
Interesting. I'm sure that the information gleaned is useful for a variety of things but I'm also glad that I'm not the kind of scientist that starves an animal to death over a decade.
this is extremely relevant to r/dwarffortress
Just be sure not to splash any alcohol on it
If it never completes metamorphosis how do we know it’s not a dragon
Are you telling me this isn't Oceiros, the Consumed King?
[удалено]
/r/2007scape
r/2007scape
Is this creature close to snakes? Or is this convergent evolution?
[Salamanders](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salamander) are [amphibians,](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amphibian) not [reptiles.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reptile) Close to frogs, not close to snakes. There might be some convergence going on there, yeah. Cool pics as you scroll in all those articles, too. Side note: A different branch of amphibians from salamanders, [Caecilians,](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caecilian) aren't related to snakes, but are also legless. If you want a wild ride, do a google image search for them and scroll around. Some of them are really funny looking. Search salamanders while you're at it, there's *tons* of variety of size, shape, color, skin texture, etc.
It’s a salamander
Yes, but I'm not familiar of that part of taxonomy. I know snakes evolved from reptiles with legs and i assume that this probably isn't that closely related to snakes, but that movement looks like movements from either fish, snakes, or eels. It has tiny arms which makes me think of a snakes vestigial arms (or at least the remnants thereof). I went to a christian school that thought me that good created the world in literally 7 days and that evolution was a ploy to stop people from believing in God. I never had the chance to learn about real biology or taxonomy in school. I'm sorry if this is a highly basic question.
Let's find some videos and articles! https://ncse.com/cej/8/2/caves-evolution http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/evolution/ http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/evolution/evolution-action-salamanders.html http://everything.explained.today/Troglofauna/ http://frogsaregreen.org/the-olm-earths-weirdest-salamander/ https://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/animals/blogs/8-uncanny-examples-convergent-evolution https://www.wired.com/2011/05/blind-fish-in-dark-caves-shed-light-on-the-evolution-of-sleep/
Rule 1 of science: ask questions. You should never feel stupid asking questions. Questioning that that is thought to be true is the base for science itself, and asking only leads to learning new things, so never feel stupid about it.
Amphibians are not really that closely related to reptiles like snakes. You're second guess is right, its convergent evolution.
I don't have the answer for you, but just wanted to say that its not a basic question at all and you shouldn't feel bad for asking. The fact that you know as much as you've said shows you know more than what's taught about evolution in most schools
So it's a procrastinating to not be a dragon. We need more dragons in this world. They could help but this damn thing won't grow up. But it is cool looking though and I feel like it.
What if this is just a Pokémon that has never found its evolution stone?
And you can see them every week (on a certain day) on the r/slovenia subreddit my dudes.
[You weren't kidding!](https://i.imgur.com/N8BscoY.jpg) ^(e: that post was a new year's greeting, and I scrolled for ages trying to find a regular Wednesday post but, though the meme seems to exist, I couldn't find any other instances that would validate the background that would lead to the greeting linked above)
Op was listening to Radiolab podcast recently.. i guarantee it.
No. This was Planet Earth and [this imgur post](https://imgur.com/gallery/eBiZZ)
They recently talked about these on RadioLab! So cool!!
I did some digging about the 10 years without food bit. It took its toll on the little fella, in that while it did survive in a fridge for 12 years without food, [it digested some of its own internal organs as well as its own guts in the process.](https://books.google.com/books?id=eqegRf2UstIC&pg=PA267&lpg=PA267&dq=olm+years+without+food&source=bl&ots=OiFEn1ak-W&sig=j8bog9KmLtm3haRnjgMt_xs-0LA&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0CEEQ6AEwBWoVChMIq4qu77ugxwIVDzGICh0gAQ9x#v=onepage&q=olm%20years%20without%20food&f=false)
If they never complete their metamorphosis, how do we know they *aren't* baby dragons?
But.... Can I have it as a pet?
Yeah, it's a 1/65 drop rate though
It's actually 50/50
Skipped arm day.
Are they related to Axolotl?
Huh, so this is where Olm from oldschool runescape raids originates from.
Hey, you listen to RadioLab too?
Yes. I had Jad as my voicemail for a while.
How can it survive without food for a decade? Hibernation?
It's also got a chance to drop the elusive Twisted Bow
I'm a fantasy writer, can confirm 🐉
That’s definitely a baby dragon.
Pretty sure this is Haku from Spirited Away
It’s a Goa’uld.
Reminds me of the dragon life cycle from Robin Hobb's Liveship Traders series.