h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Entry: Axolotls - A844571
Author: kasei_girl - U205061

Just wrote this one as I couldn't really find anything else in the guide to cover my favourite pet. I thought maybe someone else out there might find it interesting.
What do people think then?

Hi. Good entry
I'd recommend a couple of changes though:
The title should be changed to 'Axolotls as pets' or something like that, unless you add more info about the Axolotl in its native habitat. (Including its culinary worth for instance. )

The description of its relation to salamanders should be changed to something like: The Axolotl is a species of salamander. Unlike most salamanders it retains some larval characteristics it's entire life, including the gills. Therefore the Axolotl is water bound it's entire life. Occasionally genetic variations will cause full metamorphosis in axolotls turning it into a full grown salamander. This can also be accomplished by hormonal treatment. Various 'home remedies' like lovering the water level or adding salt in the tank will not cause metamorphosis, only death.

The etymology for axolotl also needs further research. The sources I have found (my dictionary and [Broken link removed by Moderator]) state it's either 'servant of the water' (my dict.), related to the god of death and metamorphosis (web site) or means 'water-dog' (web site).

Keep up the good work!

We definately need a piece in The Guide about these fascinating animals.

On reading through it quickly (I have to go to work very soon), my first comment is this - the plural of axolotl is axolotls, not axolotl's. Far too many apostrophes in there

Aside from that, it looks likes it's good for recommendation

Good entry so far but I agree that the title may need to be changed to Axolotls as pets and that the pural doesn't have a ' in it.

I was actually just wondering how Axolotls reproduce in the wild? do they devlop into salmandars first or can two Axolotls get together?

Well Done! That's a great entry. You might want to rephrase or remove your personal opinions about "cuteness", the something along the lines of "They are often considered cuter than salamanders." and "(Normaly considered the cutest)". Other than that, I think this has a great chance of recommendation.

Tango

For fear of breaching my domestic constitution, I can't condone the keeping of pets ... however, I'd like to know how to pronounce axolotl.

Is it like Axe-oh-lott-al?

Wow,
Thanks everyone for some great feedback and for being so promt with it. I am now in the process of making some changes to the entry, based on your suggestions.
First off.... Naita, I have tried to incorporate the description of Axolotls and their relationship to Salamanders that you put forward, with a few minor adjustments. I didn't put the bit in about the salt content and the lowering of the water, simply because I wouldn't want to give anyone any ideas on how to go about it. Must protect my Axolotl friends . I have included of the variants on the translation and also alluded to the fact that there may be others, cause I'm sure there probably are, I just cant seem to find them right now. And I just couldn't bring myself to include any tasty dishes that include Axolotl, that's just wrong!
Gosho, I got rid of those pesky little '
Tango, with much wailing and knashing of teeth did I take out my personal comments , I see your point about that though.
Z, I'm still trying to track down some good information on their breeding habits, more in captivity than in the wild, but if you come across something drop me a line wont you?
And Dr Montague Trout, I added a footnote that I hope will satisfy.
So people how am I doing now?

Kasei

Z, they reproduce while still "larval", it's sort of the point of Axolotls. In nature they will never turn into salamanders and then breed, but it's theoretically possible to make them do so in a lab.

I believe this characteristic is called neoteny (or paedomorphosis), and axolotls are neotenous. You may or may not wish to mention that. I have seen a theory suggesting that there is evidence that humans are neotenous too - able to reproduce while still in the larval stage.

This is a delightful entry, and I have only one tiny comment: I believe the word 'axolotl' is Nahuatl rather than Aztec.

I seem to remember 'Mad' magazine was big on axolotls. Anyone know about that?

Bels

Ok, i'm intrigued, could you give a summery of that "theory"? What is a humans larval stage?

Oh, the theory is that the development of humans, like the development of axolotls, stopped at the larval stage. It suggests that, like axolotls, we are larvae capable of reproduction. It's much too complicated to go into here - for a quick overview see eg http://www.serpentfd.org/b/bolk.html

Umm, I'd comment on that theory... but I'd take too much space, it wouldn't be an expert opinion (just what I see as common sense) and it wouldn't be about axolotls.
What I am going to do is ask Bels to get a dictionary besides Bels Unabridged Autonomic Knowledge, or at least look stuff up on the internet.
To quote from merriam-websters on Nahuatl:
a group of closely related Uto-Aztecan languages that includes the speech of several peoples (as the Aztecs) of central and southern Mexico and Central America

So, not necessarily the Aztec language, but close enough for guide purposes in my opinion.

And humans don't have a larval stage. M-W (again) explains neoteny as:
1 : retention of some larval or immature characters in adulthood
2 : attainment of sexual maturity during the larval stage
So humans would have to go under definition one. And... no, right, I wasn't going to debate neoteny and humans.

No, humans would go under definition two. Look - it's just a theory, ok? And it's not my theory. I find it fascinating that respected scientists could theorise that we may be larvae. It makes you wonder what we might develop into. But although this is nothing to do with axolotls, it might put them in a different light if we turn out to have that much in common with them. But then again, we might not...

>What I am going to do is ask Bels to get a dictionary besides Bels Unabridged Autonomic Knowledge, or at least look stuff up on the internet

Then you'd need to be more convincing. It's not as though I'm disagreeing with Merriam-Webster. I've already said it's a tiny point. But what are these 'guide purposes'? If you can get things spot-on, dead accurate and precise, what's wrong with that? Are you the arbiter of when it's ok to be inaccurate, and when it's not ok for reviewers to respectfully suggest minor factual corrections in PR?

These small points are not for you but for the author of the entry to decide on.

Please use this conversation to discuss the entry rather than as a vehicle for taking clumsy and badly-aimed swipes at other reviewers.

Kasei_girl, I hope Bels will agree with me when I say that you should write something like: "Axolotl is a Nahuatl word (Nahuatl was the language of the Aztecs and is still spoken by many people of Aztec descent.)"

Bels,
Whoa! Take it easy. You obviously took me more seriously than I intended. I apologise for what you perceived as a swipe at you.

Not being an expert on languages and not doing good enough research (just one source, who am I kidding) I might have argued clumsily on the Nahuatl issue, but you said:
"I believe the word 'axolotl' is Nahuatl rather than Aztec."
This could be interpreted as "The name of the language is Nahuatl", and if that is what you meant I apologise as this is what I've found out as well, eventually. The Aztecs spoke Nahuatl.
However, after reading only the entry in M-W, I took Nahuatl to be a group of languages, like the Germanic or Slavic, and Aztec to be one part of that group. So interpreted your statement to be the result of poor research, stating that 'axolotl' was a word in the language Nahuatl and not in the Aztec language. If that was what you meant, I still apologise, two 'wrongs' don't make a right.

Your Guide Entry has just been picked from Peer Review by one of our Scouts, and is now heading off into the Editorial Process, which ends with publication in the Edited Guide. We've therefore moved this Review Conversation out of Peer Review and to the entry itself.

If you'd like to know what happens now, check out the page on 'What Happens after your Entry has been Recommended?' at EditedGuide-Process. We hope this explains everything.

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Well done