Meeting Abstract
Axolotls (Ambystoma mexicanum) are neotenic salamanders that do not typically complete metamorphosis and remain aquatic when they reach sexual maturity; however, some axolotls may undergo spontaneous metamorphosis. Tiger salamanders (Ambystoma tigrinum) are non-neotenic terrestrial salamanders that normally complete metamorphosis and are within the same genus as axolotls. These studies investigate kinematics in order to compare movement of the metamorphosed axolotl to the tiger salamander during walking. By digitizing the movements of these salamanders with slow-motion video, the motion and position of specific body parts were tracked, measured and compared.
