Creepy 'Human Fish' Can Live 100 Years

The olm (Proteus anguinus), a foot-long salamander nicknamed 'the human fish' because of its fleshy skin and tubular shape, is certainly a strange-looking animal. This animal is most notable for its adaptations to a life of complete darkness in its underground habitat. The olm's eyes are undeveloped, leaving it blind, while its other senses, particularly those of smell and hearing, are acutely developed.

But beneath the surface, they're even weirder: Olms can live for 100 years, far longer than any other amphibian. Scientists have no idea why. LINK: The Presurfer

The Axolotl Song

What happens if an axolotl drink some salamander goo? This video clip explains how axolotl remains in neoteny until its metamorphosis to a salamander is triggered when it is given hormones.

If only all science lessons were this cool! Link [embedded YouTube clip] Via: Neatorama

Giant Salamanders

(YouTube link)

Giant salamanders can grow up to five feet long! Flood control programs in Japan are threatening their spawning grounds, so scientists have developed innovative ways to help the salamanders get upstream. -Via: Unique Daily, Via: Neatorama

Axolotl Salamanders

The Axolotl is a rare type of salamander, closely related to the Tiger Salamander species. They are about 9 inches long on average, and carnivorous. The cute critters are only native to central Mexico’s Lake Xochomilco, and yes – they are edible, and used to be a staple in the Aztec diet; but they are highly endangered due to the expansion of Mexico City.

They are, on the other hand, highly bred in captivity due to their value in research.

Axolotls are especially easy to breed compared to other salamanders in their family, which are almost never captive bred due to the demands of terrestrial life. One attractive feature for research is the large and easily manipulated embryo, which allows viewing of the full development of a vertebrate. Axolotls are used in heart defect studies due to the presence of a mutant gene that causes heart failure in embryos. LINK

Cellar Image of the Day
Link to Axotls site
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New Salamander Discovered

"Discovered near Georgia busy road."

A newly discovered salamander, which is the second-smallest salamander species in the U.S. and one of the smallest in the world at just two inches long, could change what scientists know about some amphibians, the University of Georgia Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources said today.

The new salamander is so distinct that it belongs in its own genus (a grouping of related species), according to Carlos Camp, Piedmont College professor who first recognized it as a news species. "It represents the first new genus of four-footed creature discovered in the United States in 50 years." LINK