Post by hopea2 on Jan 30, 2011 14:00:58 GMT
The name “Axolotl” comes from the Aztec Language of Nahuatl. The actual translation of the name is not fully understood yet, but some of the most popular translations are ‘Water Dog’, 'Water Doll', 'Water Slave' and ‘Servant of the water’. The name is also connected to the Aztec God Axolotl, who is turned into an Axolotl in Aztec mythology.
There are 5 different colour variations of Axolotls. The wild types are olive green to dark grey or brown, whilst the black, albino and leucistic Axolotls are mostly found in the pet trade.
All Axolotls keep their larval appearance throughout their lives and have 3 noticeable gills that come out from either side of their neck, the gills look like red feathers. Axolotls have four like legs and a long, flat tail. They can grow up to 25-30cm and live up to 15 years with the proper care.
They come from Mexico, however they are an endangered species in the wild, the only place that they can be found in the wild is in the canals of the former Xochimilcho Lake, where they are now considered to be an endangered species. They could also be found in Lake Chalco, but this lake has since been drained and Axolotls can no longer be found there.
Axolotls are a fully aquatic they love heavily vegetated waters and freshwater lakes at high altitudes. They like cool waters, as the water from the lake of their origin is glacier fed and which means it is cool throughout the year.
The life cycle of an Axolotl is a rare occurrence as they live their entire lives in the Larval stage, but can breed. This is called Neotony. It is that due to low iodine levels in their native waters they took a different evolutionary path. There have been Experiments done, which showed that Axolotls will metamorphose when exposed to iodine, and they develop into salamanders that look similar to their closely related cousin the Tiger Salamander.
Due to them be in their larval stage all their lives Axolotls have excellent regenerative abilities. They can regrow limbs, tails and even heart and brain cells at an outstanding rate. This has made them a popular focus in scientific research.
Axolotls were once a part of the staple diet of the ancient Aztec people, sadly they can still be bought in modern Mexico as a food item.
Axolotls are great first amphibians for beginners, as they are relatively easy to care for. They are also a very hardy species, so it is unlikely that it will become ill.
Due to Axolotls predatory tendencies they will generally eat smaller tank mates, and will even eat the limbs of other Axolotls even if they are of a similar size. It is best to keep your Axolotl singly to avoid this, even if the limbs will grow back eventually.
Some people say that it is ok to keep Axolotls with aquarium fish, but I personally wouldn’t advise it. Not only is there a good chance that the Axolotl will eat the fish, the fish might try to eat your Axolotls gills causing damage.
To house an Axolotl you need an aquarium as Axolotl are entirely aquatic. They are an active species so the bigger the aquarium you can provide the better. The aquarium should be fitted with a tight fitting lid, as they are prone to try and escape from their tank. Axolotls can’t live on land, so will dehydrate and die quickly if they escape and are not placed back in the water in time.
The bottom of the tank should be lined with large pebbles, as smaller pebbles can be ingested, and if the Axolotl can’t pass the pebble, it can be fatal.
The entire aquarium should be dedicated to providing adequate water for your Axolotl. The depth of the water should be at least 25- 30cm. Use a gentle filter to keep the water clean as fast flowing water stress them out. If you do not use a filter you will need to change the water daily. If you use a filter you will only need to change one third of the water every week.
You should only use de-chlorinated or bottled spring water should always be used as Axolotl are extremely sensitive to chemicals and chlorine and chloramines in water is deadly.
All amphibians require somewhere to hide; they may become stressed if this is not provided. A plant pot on its side, which is cheap and easy to clean, is a good way to give a hiding place for your Axolotl.
Bogwood, logs, stones and cork bark make great natural looking additions to your aquarium and make great hiding places. Live plants can be used in your aquarium, but Axolotls are known to sometimes get their gills entangled in some plants so care needs to be taken when selecting plants for the aquarium. Axolotl are also well known for digging plants up, so if you can get plants like Elodea which can survive and thrive without being potted in the base of the aquarium.
Like many amphibians Axolotl are very inquisitive animals and like to explore new surroundings. Once in a while change the layout of the aquarium. This will keep your Axolotl from getting bored.
Axolotl prefer a temperature of 10-20°C which is around room temperature so no heating is required.
Prolonged exposure to temperatures above 23°C can cause your Axolotl to suffer from heat stress, so measures need to be taken if you can’t maintain temperatures below this.
Axolotls are carnivorous; you should be feed them every 3-4 days with a varied diet of appropriately sized prey items, such as bloodworms, earthworms, crickets, blackworms, whiteworms, lean meat, small pieces of shrimp, daphnia, mosquito larvae, very small snails and appropriately sized fish pellets. Feed just as much as they can comfortably eat within 10 minutes.
Axolotls do not like being handled and as such handling is not recommended. That being said I handle mine only when being moved out the tank to clean it, as I believe using a net could cause damage to its gills, however some people say it is safe to use a fish net when transferring your Axolotl.
Juvenile Axolotls are difficult to sex, but the sex of your Axolotl may become more obvious when it is about 2 years old. Male Axolotl has a longer, but narrower head than the female. There will also be swelling of the cloaca in males.
Axolotls should not be bred until they reach the age of 18 months to ensure they are the appropriate size and maturity. The breeding season in the wild for Axolotls is usually around winter to spring, but it is possible for a female to lay eggs every 4- 6 months. This is not healthy though, so it is advised to only breed your females once a year. Axolotls can sometimes be encouraged to breed by reducing the daylight hours they are exposed to for a few weeks beforehand and also having a cooling of the water for a few weeks. In a single spawning a female can lay 300-600 eggs and general are lay on plants. These eggs separated from the adults after spawning to avoid the eggs getting eaten. The eggs need to be kept at 20°C in aerated water, so an air pump is needed. The larvae will hatch within 2- 3 weeks. They will need their first feed 24 hours after they hatch. Feed the larvae daily on daphnia, white worms and bloodworm. Larvae can be cannibalistic so separate them into individual containers if possible. If not, ensure that they have plenty of room so cannibalism can be avoided. As the larvae become juveniles you can increase their variety of food. Chopped up earthworms and bloodworm are a good choice to begin their transition onto larger prey items.
There are 5 different colour variations of Axolotls. The wild types are olive green to dark grey or brown, whilst the black, albino and leucistic Axolotls are mostly found in the pet trade.
All Axolotls keep their larval appearance throughout their lives and have 3 noticeable gills that come out from either side of their neck, the gills look like red feathers. Axolotls have four like legs and a long, flat tail. They can grow up to 25-30cm and live up to 15 years with the proper care.
They come from Mexico, however they are an endangered species in the wild, the only place that they can be found in the wild is in the canals of the former Xochimilcho Lake, where they are now considered to be an endangered species. They could also be found in Lake Chalco, but this lake has since been drained and Axolotls can no longer be found there.
Axolotls are a fully aquatic they love heavily vegetated waters and freshwater lakes at high altitudes. They like cool waters, as the water from the lake of their origin is glacier fed and which means it is cool throughout the year.
The life cycle of an Axolotl is a rare occurrence as they live their entire lives in the Larval stage, but can breed. This is called Neotony. It is that due to low iodine levels in their native waters they took a different evolutionary path. There have been Experiments done, which showed that Axolotls will metamorphose when exposed to iodine, and they develop into salamanders that look similar to their closely related cousin the Tiger Salamander.
Due to them be in their larval stage all their lives Axolotls have excellent regenerative abilities. They can regrow limbs, tails and even heart and brain cells at an outstanding rate. This has made them a popular focus in scientific research.
Axolotls were once a part of the staple diet of the ancient Aztec people, sadly they can still be bought in modern Mexico as a food item.
Axolotls are great first amphibians for beginners, as they are relatively easy to care for. They are also a very hardy species, so it is unlikely that it will become ill.
Due to Axolotls predatory tendencies they will generally eat smaller tank mates, and will even eat the limbs of other Axolotls even if they are of a similar size. It is best to keep your Axolotl singly to avoid this, even if the limbs will grow back eventually.
Some people say that it is ok to keep Axolotls with aquarium fish, but I personally wouldn’t advise it. Not only is there a good chance that the Axolotl will eat the fish, the fish might try to eat your Axolotls gills causing damage.
To house an Axolotl you need an aquarium as Axolotl are entirely aquatic. They are an active species so the bigger the aquarium you can provide the better. The aquarium should be fitted with a tight fitting lid, as they are prone to try and escape from their tank. Axolotls can’t live on land, so will dehydrate and die quickly if they escape and are not placed back in the water in time.
The bottom of the tank should be lined with large pebbles, as smaller pebbles can be ingested, and if the Axolotl can’t pass the pebble, it can be fatal.
The entire aquarium should be dedicated to providing adequate water for your Axolotl. The depth of the water should be at least 25- 30cm. Use a gentle filter to keep the water clean as fast flowing water stress them out. If you do not use a filter you will need to change the water daily. If you use a filter you will only need to change one third of the water every week.
You should only use de-chlorinated or bottled spring water should always be used as Axolotl are extremely sensitive to chemicals and chlorine and chloramines in water is deadly.
All amphibians require somewhere to hide; they may become stressed if this is not provided. A plant pot on its side, which is cheap and easy to clean, is a good way to give a hiding place for your Axolotl.
Bogwood, logs, stones and cork bark make great natural looking additions to your aquarium and make great hiding places. Live plants can be used in your aquarium, but Axolotls are known to sometimes get their gills entangled in some plants so care needs to be taken when selecting plants for the aquarium. Axolotl are also well known for digging plants up, so if you can get plants like Elodea which can survive and thrive without being potted in the base of the aquarium.
Like many amphibians Axolotl are very inquisitive animals and like to explore new surroundings. Once in a while change the layout of the aquarium. This will keep your Axolotl from getting bored.
Axolotl prefer a temperature of 10-20°C which is around room temperature so no heating is required.
Prolonged exposure to temperatures above 23°C can cause your Axolotl to suffer from heat stress, so measures need to be taken if you can’t maintain temperatures below this.
Axolotls are carnivorous; you should be feed them every 3-4 days with a varied diet of appropriately sized prey items, such as bloodworms, earthworms, crickets, blackworms, whiteworms, lean meat, small pieces of shrimp, daphnia, mosquito larvae, very small snails and appropriately sized fish pellets. Feed just as much as they can comfortably eat within 10 minutes.
Axolotls do not like being handled and as such handling is not recommended. That being said I handle mine only when being moved out the tank to clean it, as I believe using a net could cause damage to its gills, however some people say it is safe to use a fish net when transferring your Axolotl.
Juvenile Axolotls are difficult to sex, but the sex of your Axolotl may become more obvious when it is about 2 years old. Male Axolotl has a longer, but narrower head than the female. There will also be swelling of the cloaca in males.
Axolotls should not be bred until they reach the age of 18 months to ensure they are the appropriate size and maturity. The breeding season in the wild for Axolotls is usually around winter to spring, but it is possible for a female to lay eggs every 4- 6 months. This is not healthy though, so it is advised to only breed your females once a year. Axolotls can sometimes be encouraged to breed by reducing the daylight hours they are exposed to for a few weeks beforehand and also having a cooling of the water for a few weeks. In a single spawning a female can lay 300-600 eggs and general are lay on plants. These eggs separated from the adults after spawning to avoid the eggs getting eaten. The eggs need to be kept at 20°C in aerated water, so an air pump is needed. The larvae will hatch within 2- 3 weeks. They will need their first feed 24 hours after they hatch. Feed the larvae daily on daphnia, white worms and bloodworm. Larvae can be cannibalistic so separate them into individual containers if possible. If not, ensure that they have plenty of room so cannibalism can be avoided. As the larvae become juveniles you can increase their variety of food. Chopped up earthworms and bloodworm are a good choice to begin their transition onto larger prey items.