Axolotl Care Sheet
Below is an Axolotl care sheet based upon our extensive experience with these incredible aquatic salamanders. There's just nothing quite like them.
Axolotl
Ambystoma mexicanum
These gilled aquatic salamanders are some of the most popular pets in the world, and for good reason. Not only do they do very well in captivity, but they're active and grow quickly. Most people have no idea they even exist! They're also known as Mexican walking fish, and are related to Tiger salamanders. They were a common food for the Aztecs.
Range: In the wild, they originate from two lakes in Mexico (primarily Xochimilco), only one of which still exists, and are considered endangered. However, those available within the United States are all captive bred.
Physical Description: These amphibians have gills and must remain under water at all times—there is no terrestrial period, the gills are permanent. Often confused with Mudpuppies, these salamanders have a similar appearance. They experience neoteny, which means they reach adulthood without going through metamorphosis.
Once in a great while, an axolotl will try to morph into a terrestrial form—something that can be induced with a chemical.
The most amazing aspect of this species is their ability to regenerate limbs, and even portions of their brain! They come in a variety of morphs, including wild type, albino, leucistic, gold, copper, and several more. The GFP morph can even glow in the dark under black lights.
Size: These creatures reach an average adult size of 9-14 inches, although some reach larger lengths of up to 18-inches! Definitely a sizable animal.
Behavior: Babies can be mildly nippy with cage mates, but adults generally leave each other alone, other than breeding behavior. Most of their time is spent at the bottom of the tank. They're known to intentionally ingest gravel to aid in buoyancy control. In all my years working with axolotls, I've never been bitten or witnessed aggressive behavior. I'd describe them as quite docile.
Enclosure: This species requires an entirely aquatic setup. A good-sized community of babies can comfortably be kept in a 10-gallon tank or equivalent, while adults should have around 10-gallons each. Room temperature water works very well.
Gravel substrate is recommended, but a bare-bottomed tank will work well too. No land area is necessary. They will, however, appreciate real or artificial plants, and any hide spots you can offer.
Water temperature: Please don't heat their water, per above. Axolotls do very well in room temperature water—there's no need for a chiller unless your water is exceeding 74F. We keep our axolotl breeders in 66F to 74F water year-round and they thrive and reproduce.
Lighting: No lighting is necessary for their health.
Feeding: Axolotls will readily feed upon live earthworms, waxworms, blackworms, and occasionally feeder fish (minnows or small goldfish). They can also consume salmon pellets. As babies, live daphnia and chopped live blackworms are the perfect foods. Avoid brine shrimp as the egg shells, if ingested, will kill a baby axolotl.
Breeding: Reaching sexual maturity within 4-6 months, axolotls will generally breed without any outside influence if the seasonal water temperature change is moderately noticeable. They are considered “easy” to breed. Females can lay up to 1,000 eggs!
Price Range: Approximately $30 for our captive bred axolotls, regardless of color or morph. You can view our available axolotls if you're interested in purchasing one.
Species Notes: These aquatic salamanders can live for over 15 years with good captive conditions.
Summary: Axolotls make entertaining, long-lived, hardy captives when provided with the fairly minimal requirements mentioned above. We highly recommend them as amphibian pets. If you're interested, you can buy a captive bred axolotl right on our website.
Copyright 2022 - BackwaterReptiles.com
Ambystoma mexicanum
These gilled aquatic salamanders are some of the most popular pets in the world, and for good reason. Not only do they do very well in captivity, but they're active and grow quickly. Most people have no idea they even exist! They're also known as Mexican walking fish, and are related to Tiger salamanders. They were a common food for the Aztecs.
Range: In the wild, they originate from two lakes in Mexico (primarily Xochimilco), only one of which still exists, and are considered endangered. However, those available within the United States are all captive bred.
Physical Description: These amphibians have gills and must remain under water at all times—there is no terrestrial period, the gills are permanent. Often confused with Mudpuppies, these salamanders have a similar appearance. They experience neoteny, which means they reach adulthood without going through metamorphosis.
Once in a great while, an axolotl will try to morph into a terrestrial form—something that can be induced with a chemical.
The most amazing aspect of this species is their ability to regenerate limbs, and even portions of their brain! They come in a variety of morphs, including wild type, albino, leucistic, gold, copper, and several more. The GFP morph can even glow in the dark under black lights.
Size: These creatures reach an average adult size of 9-14 inches, although some reach larger lengths of up to 18-inches! Definitely a sizable animal.
Behavior: Babies can be mildly nippy with cage mates, but adults generally leave each other alone, other than breeding behavior. Most of their time is spent at the bottom of the tank. They're known to intentionally ingest gravel to aid in buoyancy control. In all my years working with axolotls, I've never been bitten or witnessed aggressive behavior. I'd describe them as quite docile.
Enclosure: This species requires an entirely aquatic setup. A good-sized community of babies can comfortably be kept in a 10-gallon tank or equivalent, while adults should have around 10-gallons each. Room temperature water works very well.
Gravel substrate is recommended, but a bare-bottomed tank will work well too. No land area is necessary. They will, however, appreciate real or artificial plants, and any hide spots you can offer.
Water temperature: Please don't heat their water, per above. Axolotls do very well in room temperature water—there's no need for a chiller unless your water is exceeding 74F. We keep our axolotl breeders in 66F to 74F water year-round and they thrive and reproduce.
Lighting: No lighting is necessary for their health.
Feeding: Axolotls will readily feed upon live earthworms, waxworms, blackworms, and occasionally feeder fish (minnows or small goldfish). They can also consume salmon pellets. As babies, live daphnia and chopped live blackworms are the perfect foods. Avoid brine shrimp as the egg shells, if ingested, will kill a baby axolotl.
Breeding: Reaching sexual maturity within 4-6 months, axolotls will generally breed without any outside influence if the seasonal water temperature change is moderately noticeable. They are considered “easy” to breed. Females can lay up to 1,000 eggs!
Price Range: Approximately $30 for our captive bred axolotls, regardless of color or morph. You can view our available axolotls if you're interested in purchasing one.
Species Notes: These aquatic salamanders can live for over 15 years with good captive conditions.
Summary: Axolotls make entertaining, long-lived, hardy captives when provided with the fairly minimal requirements mentioned above. We highly recommend them as amphibian pets. If you're interested, you can buy a captive bred axolotl right on our website.
Copyright 2022 - BackwaterReptiles.com
We offer exotic reptiles for sale online at absolute rock-bottom prices, which means we make these fascinating animals available to you affordably as pets, or even to start your own reptile breeding project. We are reptile enthusiasts who believe captive breeding is integral to the future of the market, as it not only helps protect wild herp populations, but is an incredibly rewarding experience that tends to intensify one's passion for these amazing prehistoric creatures. Whether you buy a snake, lizard, turtle, tortoise, or alligator, we are driven to provide the highest quality live reptiles for sale.
Amphibians are generally slower-moving than reptiles, and have uniquely moist skin which means they are never far from a source of water. Their life cycle is nothing short of incredible: they hatch in water, spend weeks or months in metamorphosis, then become either terrestrial or remain primarily water bound. Some salamanders even breathe through their skin! Our live amphibians for sale online include frogs, toads, salamanders, and newts. Some are huge, some are small, and virtually all are amazing to observe in captivity. When you buy amphibians from us, you can rest assured they are fully guaranteed to arrive alive and in great condition. Why not start an amphibian breeding project today?
Reptile and amphibian food should be varied, which is why we offer an array of feeder insects for sale. It's always far more cost effective to buy feeder insects in bulk, which often saves up to 70% off pet store prices. Plus, the feeders are delivered right to your doorstep. We offer live crickets for sale, as well as dubia roaches, mealworms, wax worms, nightcrawlers, and now even lizards, all at the lowest possible prices. Our reptile and amphibian feeder insects and lizards include a guarantee of live arrival.
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