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Taxonomy
Animalia
Chordata
Amphibia
Urodela
Ambystomatidae
Ambystoma
A. Mexicanum
Evolution
Subspecies: Leucism, Melanoid, Wild type, Copper, Enigma, Piebald, Gfp golden, Mosaic, Chimera, Leucistic, Albino, Firefly, Axanthism
The axolotl has existed for 10,000 years
The closest living relative to the axolotl is the tiger salamander
3 ancestors of the axolotl are, mole salamander, tiger salamander, and the salamandridae family
Description
Axolotls have cylindrical bodies, short legs, and a relatively long tail and external gills.
They are easy to recognize from their feathery gills that can range in color from pink to dark blue.
They average 15 to 45 cm long
They average 2-8 oz
They live 5-6 years
You can tell if an axolotl is a male based on if they have a round bump behind their back legs.
Allie McDaniels
Description of the Habitat
Lake Xochimilco is a lake in Mexico where Axolotls live
5.8 inches a year
The local flora is composed of willows, camphor, eucalyptus, and lilies.
There are lots of different species of toads that live in this lake.
The average temperature is about 75°
Xochimilco consists of a lake filled with artificial islands called chinampas that are used for agriculture
Distribution
Axolotls can be found in Lake Xochimilco in Mexico City
Axolotls are not invasive, they are considered endangered.
Diet
crustaceans, mollusks, insect larva, worms, and sometimes small fish
Adults eat 2-3 times a week
It uses a suction method to suck up their food
Social Structure
Axolotls are generally solitary creatures.
They are carnivores so they help control the population of other species
They can communicate with each other using chemical cues.
Reproduction
Axolotls mate once a year
The time of mating season is not known
A mating ritual Axolotls have is they do a courtship dance where the female and male follow each other in a circle
Females lay between 100 and 1,000 eggs
Development
Axolotls hatch as embryos about 2-3mm in size, after that, they start to grow limbs and then mature into full size
Axolotls reach sexual maturity at about 1.5 years old
There are no differences between male and female Axolotls besides their reproductive organs.
Causes of death
Carp and Tilapia are Axolotls predators along with birds and snakes.
Males do not compete over females
Some of the diseases they can catch are Recuero, Frias-Alvarez, and Hydrocoelom
Competition
Inter-species – within the species: Axolotls will fight with each other over food sources
What do they compete over: Food sources
Affect of invasive species: Species like carp will eat Axolotls and that decreases their population
IUCN Rating
Critically endangered
Population: Fewer than 100
Population Trend: Decreasing
Impact of Humans
Humans have had these animals as pets.
Potential Future impacts: Humans have taken Axolotls from the wild to live in labs to study them
How long have humans been interacting with species: since the 13th century
Efforts being made to minimize impacts: Promote a renaissance of ancestral farming practices, to help change the canals and create an axolotl sanctuary
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