Are Axolotls Good Pets For You? It’s A Complete Guide Of Keeping, Feeding, Behavior, Characteristics – Axolotl (Ambystoma Mexicanum), also known as the “Mexican Walking Fish,” is an adorable and large salamander that originates from Mexico.
These freshwater salamanders are neotenic salamanders which are also related to the tiger salamander. Although the axolotl is commonly called “walking fish,” they not actually a fish species but an amphibian.
These amphibians species were basically found in some lakes, for example, at Xochimilco and Chalco lake in southern Mexico City.
Are Axolotls Good Pets For You? It’s A Complete Guide Of Keeping, Feeding, Behavior, Characteristics
They have lungs and gills and also are more unusual among other amphibians species. These adorable amphibians spend their entire lives in water means they don’t undergo metamorphosis from baby to mature. It’s the differentiation with other amphibian species.
They are easy to care for and categorized as hardy salamanders, which means suitable for pets enthusiasts who have not experienced exotic pets.
But, there are some points to keep in your mind when keeping the axolotls. Below, there is some point you must be known before keeping these adorable amphibians:
Behavior, Characteristics, And Temperament
Axolotl can grow rach 18 inches in length, but nowadays, it only grows up to 9 inches. The wild strain of axolotl has a dark-colored body with several mottling in its skins. Some of them may have some silvery highlights on their skins.
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Another coloration of them is pale pink with black eyes (leucistic), golden body coloration with gold eyes (albino), grey body coloration with black eyes or called axanthic, and the melanoid, which means all bodies of the is black coloration without gold/silvery speckling or olive tone.
Their bodies are delicate and gentle, with permeable skin. In fact, almost all of their body is made from cartilage rather than bone. Their body is flat and broad.
Their head is so large with signature feathery gills that waving softly in the water. They have mouths were often bent into a slight grin or in otherwise, are expressive.
These cute amphibians pet have round dark eyes with yellow iridescent irises. Their limbs are similar to the lizard’s appearance. The axolotl can move to reach 15 kilometers per hour in a pinch.
Generally, they can reach sexually mature adults at age 18-24 months. They also have barely visible vestigial teeth and would have evolved during metamorphosis.
Are Axolotls Good Pets For You? It’s A Complete Guide Of Keeping, Feeding, Behavior, Characteristics
They are actually don’t social animals and not needed any tank mates. If they were keeping with other species like fish, they might eat the pet fish or contrarily.
The young axolotl can be cannibalism, so don’t keep them in the same tank. The best way is raised them is by keeping them in a separate aquarium.
The adult axolotl also potentially becomes cannibalistic when keeping together with other tank mates. Actually, the axolotl can regenerate its body when it gets bitten by its tank mates. But, avoid this condition is the best choice.
Getting An Axolotl
As we know, the axolotl is rarely found in the trade, and hard to find them at local reptile or pet stores. However, they can be found at axolotl enthusiasts or private axolotl breeders. You could order them on the internet too. The range costs between $20 – $70 on average. But the axolotl with rare coloring like copper is more expensive.
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Housing The Axolotl
Use at least an aquarium with size 15 – 20 gallons for a single axolotl. Recommended, use a tank lid to secure these animals from jumping out of the aquarium.
The minimum depth of water is slightly more than the length of your axolotl. Recommended, adding depth water will help the water quality and give more space to your axolotl swim-freely.
Are Axolotls Good Pets For You? It’s A Complete Guide Of Keeping, Feeding, Behavior, Characteristics
The water temperature should be 14 – 18 degrees Celsius and don’t allow the water temperature above 24 degrees Celsius. The higher water temperatures than 24 degrees Celsius make them become stressed and usually negatively affect their health if it is sustained for several days. So you will require an aquarium thermometer to controlling it.
If the water temperatures under 14 °C lead the metabolism process more slowly, they look less active. They also will eat less frequently even refuse food altogether. You may need an aquarium chiller to make your axolotl happy all the years.
Use fine sand as the substrate for their aquarium. It’s safer than normal aquarium gravel. The axolotl has bad habits when keeping in an aquarium with gravel substrated. They sometimes bite the gravel and occasionally swallowing it into their mouth.
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The young axolotl should be kept in the aquarium with dim lighting to prevent being shy. while the older one growing well under a brighter light tank. However, they still need some shady area, and you could add some rocks, driftwood, some tall low-light aquarium plants like Anubias, or pipe into the aquarium.
Recommended using hang on the tank filter or canister filter for the filtration. Besides, it has an essential feature the external filtration like that is safer for the axolotl.
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Feeding
These exotic animals are carnivorous. In the wild, they often eat some small insects, small fish, and worms. You can feed them with bait worms, bloodworms, frozen shrimps, or raw hamburger meats. You also can feed them fish pellets, but we not recommended using them.
