Axolotl

I would like to know why we are not allowed to import Axolotl? I'm new to all of this so if there is a site where i can go and find all info that would be great.

 

Hi there

There are laws governing what species are allowed to be kept, bred, and traded among the general public (ie: you can freely have these animals without a permit). Species that are not allowed are on the South African Freshwater Blacklist, and anything on that list is illegal to have in your possession.

Reasons as to why the particular species or group isn't allowed varies from one animal to another. Most amphibians are banned either because they pose an invasion threat or they may be carrying a dangerous fungus that threatens our own local stock.

According to the blacklist, ALL amphibians (the axolotl included) are not allowed to be brought into the country or kept, unless you have a permit. These permits aren't given out freely - normally you need a valid reason for this, such as research.

HTH

 

Hi, my two cents...Axolotl are/were on the CITES endangered species list, so I am sure this is a contributory factor. I have kept some and raised some from university (not sure on the legalities), they are very cool creatures! Although they are under a research type of permit don't worry they are not hacking their limbs off, just have them as part of an educational display.

 

they look awesome - the coolest stuff is always on the bl.:cry:

 

:bigsmile: A bit of silliness just for fun ...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxA0QVGVEJw

 

It is such a pity they are so different and unusual. I am not to clooded up with all of this but made the effort to speak to someone in the department of agriculture and fisheries and didn't get any help from them as to permits, what i need, what to do, nothing. If they are on the endangered species list why are we not allowed to help the cycle on again and get some babies? Will the option change in future to be removed from lists or is that not negotiable? Why is all amphibians not allowed to be brought into the country?

Thanx for the replies and all the help.

 

According to Wikipedia they are a critically endangered species (about one step from extinction). Breeding them to save the species is probably best left to the "experts", since things like genetic diversity become important in such a small population.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Axolotl

 

Hey Martin

I have read that aswell but thats why i don't understand why they are being sold as pets in the US and UK and they are allowed to export them with i think a CITES permit to any country.

 

It's partly due to the pet trade that they are so endangered...but that's another discussion altogether. As mentioned by SalmonAfrica, each species on the BL is there for a reason. The UK and the US have ecosystems that differ significantly from ours, so the Axolotl may not be considered invasive there while it might be invasive here.

Whatever the reason may be, you may not keep them as a pet in SA. Beside that, I wouldn't buy one if it is on the critically endangered list.

 

When a species is endangered or critically endangered, this refers to their WILD populations. Axolotl are very rare in the wild, however, in the trade they're extremely common. Think about it this way - the camel that we're all so familiar with is extinct in the wild; not a single truly WILD camel exists, yet they're so common up in Northern Africa.

 

Fair enough, but I would still prefer to have wild populations than only have trade populations. With regards to camels vs fish...mammals are significantly more tolerant to environmental/habitat changes than invertebrates. Humans as a species (there are exceptions, of course) tend to make an effort to preserve that which has economic benefits. The more we wreck our ecosystems (a population in captivity does nothing for an ecosystem), the closer we move towards our own extinction.