Axolotls' Biology

Axolotl Body Structure

The axolotl is a very unique creature that some scientists have taken a backwards step in the evolutionary chain. the reason they say this is the axolotl unlike other salamanders because it remains in its larva form its entire life and even reaches sexual maturity. The axolotl is a carnivore and has all the basic carnivore anatomy except teeth. These animals have some adaptations that help them to thrive and live their entire life in the water such as their long tail, 4 legs with 5 webbed digits on each foot, external gills and a large mouth.

Resportray system

Axolotls have developed 4 different ways to breath in the aquatic environment. those are through their external gills, skin, buccal respiration, and breathing with their lungs.

External gills

The feathery things that decorate the head of the axolotl are actually their primary way of breathing and it is their external gills. This allows for a larger surface area of diffusion and also protects the axolotls by keeping parasites and other harmful things away from the blood stream.

Skin Breathing

Axolotls are able to breathe through their skin as well. this is a trait shared between most salamanders. axolotls have a thin skin layer coated with a mucus which helps aid in the gas transfer and since their skin is thin the gas transfer is fast and efficient.

Buccal Breathing

This is a breathing method the axolotls pump water through their throat past the buccal membrane to smaller gill fragments that just helps aid in the breathing process.

Breathing with Lungs

Even though axolotls are fully aquation they do still have lungs, but it is the least efficient way for them to breath. they do this by swimming to the surface and taking a gasp of air. They will only do this if there is a small amount of dissolved oxygen in the water.

Regeneration

Axolotls have gained the ability to regenerate lost limbs by an ability called rapid cell division. They do this by converted nearby cells to stem cells and then recreating the arms' new genetic structure. not only can they regenerate limbs, but they are also able to regenerate parts of their brain and their spin if it gets broken. and it only takes an average of three weeks to do it as well. as far as we know there is no set number of times, they are able to regenerate as well.

Digestive System

In the wild Axolotls are naturally carnivores. This means they naturally eat worms' shellfish smaller fish incest's and even smaller axolotls. Since axolotls do not have a major set of teeth, they tend to swallow their food whole which is why they only tend to eat things smaller than them. the way they are able to catch food is by opening their mouth and then it creates a vacuum and sucks their prey into their mouth and them down the esophagus. After that the food will enter the stomach and start the digestive process like any other animal.

Life Cycle

Axolotls are able to breed through external fertilization. this means the female lay their eggs in water and the male will swim over them and deposit his semen in the same area to fertilize the batch of eggs. so unlike humans and other mammals' axolotls do not have a gestation period. once the eggs are laid the parent axolotls will leave the babies on their own to hatch. after the eggs are fertilized it will take about 14 days for them to hatch into about a 4 mm long baby axolotl. once they hatch the do not have any arms and legs and look almost like a small tadpole. as they get older, they develop their external gills and limbs but do not go through metamorphosis but will continue to live in water and then lay eggs to repeat the process.

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