Axolotls

Axolotls

Keeping axolotls is probably one of the best things that can happen to any pet lover. Its incredible look and amazing characteristics can make anyone fall in love with them. In as much as you will get to enjoy having an axolotl in your home, there are things you also need to do. One of the things is getting an in-depth comprehension of the lives of the axolotls. To help you navigate through the worldof this amazing creature, here is a complete guide.

Appearance

Axolotls and salamanders have a few things in common. That is part of the reasons why they are referred to as the “salamander that never grows.” For instance, just like salamanderslarvae have external gills, so do the axolotls. Furthermore, both ofthesecreaturespossess caudal fins.

Normally axolotls growto about 9 inches. Sexually active adult axolotlsare a bit bigger; they can even grown you to 18 inches.  Axolotls usually have wide heads, and their eyes have no lids. Their limbs are usually underdeveloped with long thin digits at the front.

Just likemany water creatures, axolotlsalso come in various colors. It isbecauseof this that they are categorized on four different categories namely,

1. Leucistic – these axolotls are pale pink in colour. Theyalso have black eyes.
2. Melanoid – these axolotls’ body is all black.
3. Albino –these axolotls are golden in colour. Theyalso have gold eyes.
4. Axanthic – these axolotls are grey in colour. They also have black eyes..

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Differentiating between males and femalesaxolotls is abit tricky, but if you are keen, you can get the hang of it. If you want to checkif axolotlsis a male, just look at the cloacae. If it had a swollen cloacae lined withthe papillae, then that is a male. Females, on the other hand, are identified by their wide bodies which carry their eggs.

Habitat

Axolotls originate from the valley of Mexico. Specifically, theyare believed tocome fromLake Xochimilco. Apart from Lake Xochimilco, axolotls were also in Lake Chalco. Nowadays, they no longer exist there because the lake was drained as a flood control measure.

One of the reasons why they like these lakesisbecauseof the favorabletemperatures of 20°C and below. Moreover, the lakes are high altitude bodies of water surrounded by risky terrestrialspace.

Feeding

One of the most notable things about axolotls is their mode of feeding. Axolotls have poor eye sight, and thus, they use their sense of smell to feed. They are carnivorous eaters, and they prefer feeding on chunkyfoods like earthworms.

When feeding them in your home, make sure that you only feed only one worm at a time and make sure it is close to the axolotl. This ensures that it does not get lost in the substrate at the bottom.

You can also give you axolotls sinking pellets food and lean red meat. When giving lean red meat, you need to be very careful and do itonce in a while. This isbecause too much consumption of lean red meat causes health issues in axolotls. You need to feed your axolotls once a day or every second day. Once you are done feeding them, make surethateveryuneaten food is promptly removed.

Water and Tank Requirements

One thing you need to know isthataxolotls can get quite large as they age. This thenmeans that you need to have a tank large enough to accommodate them as they grow older. The recommended size is about 15 to 20-gallon fish tank.

The tank’s water temperatures should be between 14 and 20°C at all times. Moreover, you should always keepthe tank away from direct sunlight. This ensures that the temperatures do not rise above the required level.

It is also important to note that axolotl’s tanks should not have any special form of lighting. If you choose to place gravel at the bottom, make sure that it is coarse gravel. This is because axolotls are known to consume fine gavel and cause an obstruction.

Compatibility

Having tank mates foryouraxolotls is avery tricky thing. This is due to so many reasons, some of them include;

1. They arenot social creatures, meaning they will be in conflict with other fish and water animals.
2. They are normally targeted by other fish and aquatic life. Basically, you will find animals like newts nipping away on axolotls gills. This usually happens during feeding times.
3. Axolotls are known to eat practicallyanything. Therefore, even if you bring in smallerfish, the axolotlswill feed on them.

So what should one do?

1. Thebest thing to do is to avoid adding other aquatic life to axolotl’s tanks.
2. Youngeraxolotls should not be housed together. This is because they will nip on each other’s gills and feet.
3. You should only place adult axolotls in the same tank/environment.

Breeding

In axolotls, spawning is initiated by the male species.  What usuallyhappensis the male axolotls deposit 5-25 spermatophores around the tank.When the breeding season comes on, the makes then raise their tails. This then sends a signal to the females who are then lead to the areas with spermatophores by the males.

The female then picks up these spermatophores, and fertilizationtakes place.  Within a few hours, the female axolotl will lay fertilized eggs in different parts of the tank. You may find some on top of rocks, others on plant leaves, and even at the bottom. The number of eggs ranges from between 100 to 1000 eggs. After about three weeks, the eggs hatch, and the larvae emerge.

Conclusion

If you are planning on getting axolotls,following theseguidelineswill help you a lot. Other than that, you should alsoknow that axolotls just like any other living organisms can get unwell. This then requires you to research on signs and symptoms of various infections in axolotls. The earlydiagnosisand treatment of such cases can go a long way in saving the lifeof your precious pets.