![\"\"](\"https:\/\/goodnewsmags.com\/tullahoma\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2026\/11\/4-1024x683.jpg\")
Because Riley has very poor eyesight, food must be placed directly in front of its mouth, at which point it clamps onto the feeding pipette and sometimes refuses to let go. This creates plenty of laughter and entertainment for guests lucky enough to be present during feeding time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Tiffany Sebourn, who has been with the science center since Riley\u2019s arrival, says the feeding reactions never get old.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhen we talk about axolotls, they\u2019re like, \u2018Oh, it\u2019s all rainbows and sunshine.\u2019 And we\u2019re like, \u2018That axolotl eats bloodworms,\u2019\u201d Sebourn said with a laugh. \u201cYou get a lot of \u2018ew.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The sign near Riley\u2019s tank reads, \u201cBe kind to our animals and their home.\u201d The special tank includes a precision cooling system that keeps Riley at 65 degrees year-round. It is an expensive but critical part of keeping the animal safe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThis is Riley\u2019s home, even though it\u2019s not in the wild,\u201d Sisco said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sisco says Riley will turn 1 sometime around January 2027, a milestone because axolotls cannot be reliably identified as male or female until they reach about 1 year old. He says he is very excited to announce that it looks like \u201cIt\u2019s a boy!\u201d At this stage, Sisco says there is an 85% chance that is the case. While the name Riley works for either gender, the axolotl is likely male and was named in honor of a very special baby boy. The story behind the name turned out to be especially meaningful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When looking for a name for the new axolotl, the science center held a contest inviting schoolchildren to submit ideas. While there were many fun contenders \u2014 such as Bubbles, Axel Rose, and Frank \u2014 the winning entry came from Nolan Hice, a third-grader at Farrar Elementary, who submitted the name Riley in honor of his baby brother, who had passed away. The gesture of compassion and remembrance touched everyone involved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThat was one name that stuck out,\u201d Sisco said, \u201cand it\u2019s because it had a story behind it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Nolan\u2019s class earned a free field trip to the science center, and HOSC marked the occasion with a ribbon-cutting alongside the chamber of commerce. The event coincided with the 90th birthday of Bill Boss, a founding member of the Visiting Wizards, a group that entertains students with science shows. Since the celebrations overlapped, axolotl-themed cupcakes were served. Sisco says Boss continues to perform science shows for students at HOSC.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sisco\u2019s background in environmental biology, with a focus on fisheries, has been valuable in caring for an axolotl. He said he was excited and ready for the challenge of bringing the new animal to Tullahoma.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/goodnewsmags.com\/tullahoma\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2026\/11\/2-1024x683.jpg\")
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/goodnewsmags.com\/tullahoma\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2026\/11\/3-1024x683.jpg\")