Lifestyle

• Diet

  • mollusks, worms, insect larvae, crustaceans, and some fish 

• Used to live in Lake Xochimilco where the water temperature ranges from above 68 degrees to 44 degrees Fahrenheit  

• Average lifespan of the axolotl is 10 to 12 years (have lived for 25 years in captivity) 

Reproduction

• Reproduces very easily. Lays 300-1,100 eggs.

• They can reach sexual maturity anywhere between 5 months and a few years. Depends on the water temperature and other factors.

• Breeding season is usually from December to June. 

• Eggs take about 2-3 weeks to hatch

Behaviors

• Primary method of feeding is by suction

• Carnivorous 

• Locate food by smell and will "snap" at any potential meal, sucking the food into their stomachs 

• Solitary and usually active during the day 

• Communicate with other axolotls; visually or with chemical cues during mating 

• They can detect electrical fields to investigate their environment and discover prey 

Characteristics

• GFP axolotls glow under black light, blue light, and UV light 

• Have regenerative capabilities i.e. re-grow body parts lost in fights 

• Ranges in length from 15 to 45 cm 

• Possess external gills and a caudal fin 

• Heads are wide and eyes are lidless 

• Gills are used for respiration 

Fun facts

• Axolotls names are derived from Alt-water and xotol=dog or Waterdog

• According to legend, this "water monster" was a god who disguised himself as a salamander to avoid sacrifice

• In the time of the Aztecs, axolotls provided food for the people and were also used to cure diseases such as consumption