Cheddar is a very unique morphed axolotl that my partner and I rescued a little over 6 years ago. For those who might not know, morphed axolotls are the result of a rare genetic abnormality that causes them to undergo a complete metamorphosis into a terrestrial salamander. This, along with other genetic defects, are a stark reminder of why careful breeding practices are necessary with axolotls.

Despite his uncertain beginnings, Cheddar successfully made it through his complete metamorphosis and is still with us. Over the years, I've worked hard learn about him and help others navigate the uncertainties of morphing axolotls. He currently resides in a spacious 48"x18"x18" bioactive paludarium and is always one of the highlights of my day.

Featured here are two Caudatas. One of which is the plant Hoya caudata, and a the other is a salamander belonging to the taxonomic group Caudata named Cheddar.

Cheddar is an extremely unique morphed axolotl that my partner and I rescued a little over 6 years ago. He, and a couple of other axolotls, are partly responsible for us getting a Hoya caudata in the first place. It was our second hoya, and the main reason we ended up getting it was because of the name.

Extra Information on Cheddar:

Cheddar is what we call a morphed axolotl. Axolotls are a unique species of salamander that normally spend their entire lives under water complete with fluffy external gills. This is how Cheddar started out too. However, once he reached about 6 months of age he began to undergo complete metamorphosis that resulted in him becoming a terrestrial salamander. Part way through this process is when we took him in.

Unfortunately, captive axolotls have problematic genetic backgrounds. They have a high inbreeding coefficient that results in two randomly selected axolotls sharing more genes than two human siblings. As a result, great care has to be taken when breeding axolotls to avoid spreading genetic defects. While we don't know much about the background of Cheddar's parents, it's extremely likely that they were related to one another and passed on the some abnormal genes. One of which was responsible for Cheddar morphing.

Despite his uncertain beginnings, Cheddar successfully made it through his complete metamorphosis and is still with us 6 years later. Over the years I've worked hard to learn about him and help others navigate the uncertainties of morphing axolotls. He currently resides in a spacious 48"x18"x18" bioactive paludarium and is always one of the highlights of my day.

Featured here are two Caudatas. One of which is the plant Hoya caudata, and a the other is a salamander belonging to the taxonomic group Caudata named Cheddar.

Cheddar is an extremely unique morphed axolotl that my partner and I rescued a little over 6 years ago. He, and a couple of other axolotls, are partly responsible for us getting a Hoya caudata in the first place. It was our second hoya, and the main reason we ended up getting it was because of the name.

Extra Information on Cheddar:

Cheddar is what we call a morphed axolotl. Axolotls are a unique species of salamander that normally spend their entire lives under water complete with fluffy external gills. This is how Cheddar started out too. However, once he reached about 6 months of age he began to undergo complete metamorphosis that resulted in him becoming a terrestrial salamander. Part way through this process is when we took him in.

Unfortunately, captive axolotls have problematic genetic backgrounds. They have a high inbreeding coefficient that results in two randomly selected axolotls sharing more genes than two human siblings. As a result, great care has to be taken when breeding axolotls to avoid spreading genetic defects. While we don't know much about the background of Cheddar's parents, it's extremely likely that they were related to one another and passed on the some abnormal genes. One of which was responsible for Cheddar morphing.

Despite his uncertain beginnings, Cheddar successfully made it through his complete metamorphosis and is still with us 6 years later. Over the years I've worked hard to learn about him and help others navigate the uncertainties of morphing axolotls. He currently resides in a spacious 48"x18"x18" bioactive paludarium and is always one of the highlights of my day.

Featured here are two Caudatas. One of which is the plant Hoya caudata, and a the other is a salamander belonging to the taxonomic group Caudata named Cheddar.

Cheddar is an extremely unique morphed axolotl that my partner and I rescued a little over 6 years ago. He, and a couple of other axolotls, are partly responsible for us getting a Hoya caudata in the first place. It was our second hoya, and the main reason we ended up getting it was because of the name.

Extra Information on Cheddar:

Cheddar is what we call a morphed axolotl. Axolotls are a unique species of salamander that normally spend their entire lives under water complete with fluffy external gills. This is how Cheddar started out too. However, once he reached about 6 months of age he began to undergo complete metamorphosis that resulted in him becoming a terrestrial salamander. Part way through this process is when we took him in.

Unfortunately, captive axolotls have problematic genetic backgrounds. They have a high inbreeding coefficient that results in two randomly selected axolotls sharing more genes than two human siblings. As a result, great care has to be taken when breeding axolotls to avoid spreading genetic defects. While we don't know much about the background of Cheddar's parents, it's extremely likely that they were related to one another and passed on the some abnormal genes. One of which was responsible for Cheddar morphing.

Despite his uncertain beginnings, Cheddar successfully made it through his complete metamorphosis and is still with us 6 years later. Over the years I've worked hard to learn about him and help others navigate the uncertainties of morphing axolotls. He currently resides in a spacious 48"x18"x18" bioactive paludarium and is always one of the highlights of my day.