12/14/2018

The new axolotl, Daisy, sits in her tank in the AMSET room. (TORRENCE RUFFIN | SNN)

The Axolotl.

By HUNTER NEALSNN Staff Writer

AMSET’s newest addition to its assortment of pets might surprise you.

The latest creature added to a room filled with reptiles and fish is the axolotl. The strange animal, alternatively known as the Mexican walking fish, is not a fish at all but an amphibian. Although classified as such, unlike frogs and salamanders, the axolotl matures and stays in water where it thrives in 50- to 60-degree temperatures.

AMSET coordinator Rachel Fawaz said she got the black spotted axolotl she named Daisy off of Craigslist for $35, the average price for one. Fawaz said she wanted the axolotl to give an “example of an amphibian” for her students. She said Daisy’s diet consists of blood worms and minnows, a basic diet common among amphibians.

The AMSET program is set up to be hands on, and freshmen get grouped up and assigned to one tank containing differing species of aquatic life.

“Every aquatic animal has different conditions that they’re happiest in, so part of the project for them is to find those conditions and re-create them,” Fawaz explained.

She said AMSET students will learn more from the axolotl because it’s special conditions.

The axolotl’s tank is fixed with a fan that regulates the temperature. Additionally, the bottom of the tank is kept clear of rocks or substrate as the axolotl will swallow almost any object smaller than its own head.

“Some animals require more when being taken care of,” freshman Gage Higel said.

Higel and Christophe Berthiaume, both freshmen in Fawaz’ eighth-period class, take care of Daisy’s tank.

Even though Daisy is quite the lazy creature, the students said, he is sure to spark interest in students coming new to AMSET or at the very least a nice stop on the gallery walk of creatures belonging to the program.