Category: Frequently Asked Questions

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Are axolotls legal to own/breed/sell in Canada?

Updated Feb. 12, 2023

In some Canadian provinces, a permit is required to own axolotls, breed them, sell them, and import them from other provinces. Additionally, due to their status as an endangered species, axolotls require a CITES permit to import axolotls in or out of the country. Finally, no matter where you live, it’s your responsibility to make sure you comply with your city by-laws regarding pet ownership and pet breeding.

Québec
As of 2022, there is no limit on the number of axolotls you can keep as pets without a permit. You are also allowed to breed, sell, and rehome your axolotl. You are allowed to import axolotls from other Canadian provinces without an official notice, but only as an individual importing a personal pet.  Axolotl owners and retailers have certain legal obligations, which I will detail in another article.
Source: C-61.1, r. 5.1 – Regulation respecting animals in captivity (Aug. 1st, 2022)

ON, MB, SK, AB, NL, NT, YU and NU
To the best of my knowledge, no permit is required to own axolotls as pets in these provinces and territories. My information could be outdated, so I plan on going through the text law over the next few weeks. In the meantime, if you plan on adopting an axolotl, I recommend contacting your local wildlife department to double-check.

NB, NS, BC, PEI
If you live in one of these provinces, you are not allowed to own or import axolotls without a valid permit from your local wildlife department. I strongly urge you to comply with these regulations — axolotls get seized from their owners all the time. It’s quite a traumatic experience, both for the owners and the animals. Pet stores also face expensive fines.

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Why is my axolotl not eating?

Axolotls may refuse food for many different reasons. Here is a list of 10 possible causes, ranked from most common to least common. Try working your way down the list, ruling out the more common issues until you can identify the problem you’re dealing with.

1. Moving stress

It’s not uncommon for axolotls to refuse food for a day or two when they first arrive in a new home. Keep in mind, s/he is trying to adjust to a whole new environment, including a new owner, and possibly different foods and feeding methods. Be patient! Your new pet will warm up to you once s/he realizes that there is nothing to be afraid of.

2. Warm water

Axolotls are subtropical, and do not handle summer temperatures well. Most axolotls suffer from heat stress and will refuse food as their water reaches 23°C or higher. Heat stress in axolotls can be deadly, particularly at 24°C or above. I will be posting an article on how to cool your aquarium [coming soon!], but in the meantime, feel free to email me for advice.

3. Ammonia issues

Ammonia makes axolotls queasy, so they may refuse food or even throw up. If you’re keeping your axolotl in a tank, make sure your filter is properly cycled. In a tub, remember to do a full water change every day!

4. Problems with the food

Axolotls may ignore or spit food out when it’s too big, too hard, or it just has a nasty taste. Try cutting overlarge food in half. You can use scissors to cut up large earthworms, or a pill cutter to cut overlage pellets. Choose a pellet that softens rapidly in water. Avoid worms that taste bitter, such as red wigglers (Eisenia fetida). To avoid spoilage, don’t buy larger quantities of dry food than your axolotl can consume in approximately one month, and try to reseal the package properly after use. Don’t allow frozen food to thaw and then re-freeze.

5. Aggressive tankmates

If your axolotl is moving away from food or staying hidden at feeding times, they may be afraid that moving towards the food will draw in their neighbor’s wrath — especially if they’ve gotten nipped by them before. The solution is to feed the more aggressive axolotl in a separate container. If you’re worried about nipping at other times, it’s best to rehome the aggressive axolotl to another tank entirely. Note that biting of same-sized tankmates is not a normal adult behavior and often indicates a severe nutritional deficiency.

6. Pre-hibernation

In very cold water (<15°C), axolotls may act sluggish and show a lack of interest in food. They may also poop more than usual, and/or vomit, especially at the lowest end of their tolerated temperature range (4-8°C) or after a rapid decrease in temperatures (e.g when fridging). This is a normal physical adaptation to the low temperatures, and not a sign that your axolotl is sick. Gradually increase temperatures to a more comfortable range (15°C-18°C) and your axolotl should resume their normal behaviour.

7. Impaction

If your axolotl refuses to eat for several days in a row, they could have swallowed something that caused a blockage. This is unfortunately a relatively common issue in axolotls, as they have a tendency to eat aquarium gravel, small rocks and anything else they can fit in their mouths. I will be writing a separate article on how to treat and diagnose impaction [coming soon!], but in the meantime, feel free to email me for help.

8. Intestinal parasites

If your axolotl has been refusing food and/or throwing up for a week or longer, and all of the above causes have been ruled out, intestinal parasites are the most likely culprit. You should contact a veterinarian in your area to discuss possible treatments. If you’re able to collect a stool sample, that will make parasite identification a lot easier. Your vet may also ask for a water sample.

9. Egg or water retention

Egg and/or water retention rarely happens, but it does happen! In addition to causing discomfort, severe bloating compresses the animal’s digestive tract, making eating difficult. If your axolotl looks bloated and the above causes have been ruled out, try housing them in a 40% concentration of Holtfreter’s or John’s solution [more info on this soon]. If your axolotl is female, try pairing her with a male to trigger egg-laying, and add some plants or decor for the eggs to be deposited onto.  Contact a veterinarian asap if:

  • you see no improvement after 48 hours
  • other symptoms are present
  • your female seems to be having difficulty laying eggs, or the eggs are looking non-viable

10. Other severe illness

If all the other causes have been ruled out, you should assume that your axolotl is battling a severe illness and requires urgent veterinary care. 

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How do I train my axolotl to eat pellets?

1. Make sure the pellet is small enough for your axolotl’s mouth.

2. Wait until they are hungry!

3. If they are used to feeding from tongs or fingers, try this method first.

4. Try dropping the pellets one by one just above their nose, so that they are tempted to snap.

5. It’s normal for your axolotl to hesitate at first, and maybe even spit the pellet out. Even if they don’t go for it right away, leave one or two pellets in the water overnight. A good quality pellet will entice them by smell, and will usually be gone by morning.

6. If your axolotl still won’t try the pellets, don’t feed them their usual food until the next day — you don’t want to create a “if I ignore the pellet I will get my favorite treat” association!

7. Don’t try introducing pellets several days in a row. You should alternate with normal feedings, to make sure that your axolotl stays healthy and that their refusal to eat is not due to a different stressor, such as water quality issues.

8. If your axolotl still won’t touch the pellets on your third try, and they have no trouble eating other foods… Use a better pellet!

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Axolotl sizes: what is the difference between a mini, dwarf and short toes axolotl?

Dwarfism

MissPiggy, a four-month-old dwarf axolotl. Photo: Briitney Alyssah Darlene Long

This picture of Tadpole, a dwarf axolotl, shows the added strain that the condition puts on female axolotls’ bodies when gravid. Photo: Patricia’s Gill Babies

Dwarfism is a genetic condition which causes a foreshortening of the chest area and a smaller than usual adult size. Limbs may also appear shorter than usual, although the axolotl’s fingers and toes keep a normal appearance. Dwarfism can lead to health issues and shortened lifespans, particularly in females, due to the large number of eggs they carry. Dwarf axolotls should never be allowed to breed, and may need to be housed separately to avoid getting picked on by larger adults.

‘Mini’ features

Ravyn the mini axolotl only reached an adult size of six inches. Photo: Patricia’s Gill Babies

A mini axolotl is one whose growth stops before reaching adult size, which can be the result of genetic issues (often due to inbreeding) or stunting due to poor husbandry. Minis may be normally proportioned, or have a somewhat smaller than average tail, with normal chest and limbs. Just like dwarves, minis may require separate housing, and it is preferable not to breed them.

Short toes syndrome

Axolotl suffering from short toes syndrome. Unfortunately, some unscrupulous breeders take advantage of this painful and deadly condition by marketing the afflicted animals as “dwarf axolotls”. Buyers beware! Photo: Amanda Gomes

Axolotls with short toes syndrome look similar to dwarves, but they have short fingers and toes that give their hands and feet a padded appearance. Over time, they develop a pudgy appearance due to oedema, an accumulation of interstitial fluid within the body tissues, which causes bloating of the entire body (pictured above). Short toes syndrome is a very serious and irreversible condition which invariably leads to painful oedema, hemorrhages and organ failure. To prevent unnecessary suffering, axolotls affected by this condition should be euthanized as soon as the condition is detected.

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Can I house two axolotls together? Will they fight?

Axolotls are not a social species, so they don’t need a friend to be entertained. That being said, it is perfectly ok to house axolotls together, as long as they are roughly the same size. If one axolotl easily fits into the other’s mouth, chances are it will end up as a snack. Usually, axolotls grow out of their cannibalistic phase once all four limbs are formed, but some unfortunately retain those instincts. If space is very limited, you might see some snapping behavior at feeding time, which can lead to injuries. In addition, if your axolotls are not adequately fed, they may eat each other’s limbs for extra nutrition. Those limbs will grow back, but do your best to limit altercations by feeding them a nutritious diet and keeping them in proper housing conditions.

Keep in mind that if you house a male and a female together, they will most likely end up breeding. The young larvae are not that easy to care for, so make sure you know what you’re getting into before you choose to attempt it!

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Are axolotls difficult to care for?

Axolotls are very easy to care for if you have the right setup. Given proper housing conditions, all you need to do to keep your axolotl happy is to feed it and keep its water clean.

Feeding
An adult axolotl only needs to eat one live earthworm every other day (the kind used as fishing bait all over the country). The axolotls I sell are also trained to accept pellets. Those are a convenient backup, but I still recommend feeding earthworms if you can, as they don’t get the water dirty the way pellets tend to.

Spot cleaning
Whatever you choose to feed your axolotl, within a day or so it will all come back out as one big solid poop, which is easily picked up using a turkey baster. I do recommend picking up the poop as soon as you spot it, since axolotls are silly creatures who will put anything in their mouth. If they eat their own poop by mistake, they will do a spit take and scatter bits of poop everywhere!

Weekly maintenance
Whether your axolotl makes poop rain or not, you will need to do weekly water changes. Use a siphon to remove 1/3 to 1/2 of the water, and refill with dechlorinated water (or water from the tap, with some conditioner added).

That’s it! As far as pets go, they are not very demanding at all, but you do need to be consistent about these three things.

 

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How do I know if axolotls are the right pet for me and my family?

Do you want a pet that is very active?
Axolotls are sit-and-wait hunters. They don’t typically spend a lot of time swimming around. Mostly, they’ll walk around the tank, climb the decor, or use it as a flotation device. Their goofy poses can be entertaining, but if you want an aquatic pet that moves around a lot, it’s best to stick to fish. On the bright side, their tendency to stay still or move slowly makes them ideal photography subjects!

Are you able to keep their water cold?
Axolotls do best at temperatures between 15 and 18°C.  They can tolerate a range of 4 to 23°C, but at 24°C and above, they could get sick or even die. If your house gets very warm in the summer, it may be necessary to cool the water with air conditioning, fans or an aquarium chiller.

Do you understand the nitrogen cycle?
Before getting any aquatic pet, it’s important to understand the basics of keeping them alive in an aquarium. Please take a moment to read about the nitrogen cycle, its relation to new tank syndrome, and the proper way to cycle your filter before bringing an axolotl home.

Can you make a 10 year commitment?
Given proper housing conditions and care, axolotls can be expected to live 10 to 12 years in captivity. If you are buying an axolotl as a pet for your child, please make sure you are prepared to care for it as well!