COMMUNITY


Ambystoma mexicanum – Resident at the sanctuary A Weird Collection A


new section called ‘Weird and Wonder-


ful’ is taking shape at the Scottish Sea Life Sanctu- ary and one of our new species are curious crea- tures called Axolotls. These animals look like sala- manders but have gills exter- nal to their body. Unlike most amphibians whose larvae de- velop in water then migrate to land, axolotls have the op- tion of staying in an aquatic environment or living on the


land. If the pond where they live dries up they develop the ability to breathe using lungs. They also have the ability to grow back limbs and even more vital organs such as their brains, if these are damaged or lost. These strange animals originate from a few lakes near Mexico City, but unfortunately due to the proximity of the city, the lakes have become polluted and partially drained. They are also considered a lo- cal delicacy! This means that


the axolotl is now critically en- dangered, and faces extinc- tion in the wild if its habitats are not conserved. To ensure that the wild population is not de- pleted, our axolotls are captive bred within sea life and when they reach maturity they will be placed in to a breeding pro- gram with hopes in the future to release some back into their natural habitat. They will be joined by some equally bizarre animals when the new section opens in 2011!


Give your child a birthday to remember


with an Exclusive SEA LIFE Party Take a guided tour around our fantastic creature displays, followed by a birthday meal and gifts for everyone. For more information visit our website www.sealsanctuary.co.uk Or to book a party call 01631 720386.


8


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44