Axolotls usually live for an average of 10 to 15 years. However, there are also some Axolotl who have lived until the age of 25.
They are usually around 9 inches (23 cm) long, but can also grow to between 6 and 15 inches (15 and 40 cm). In the home aquarium they survive much longer than in the wild. Some Axolotls can even live up to 20 years if kept well.
Life cycle of Axolotl
Axolotls usually become sexually mature at 8 to 15 months of age. To mate, the male performs a small courtship dance and deposits one or more spermatophores on the bottom of the aquarium. Spermatophores are packages of sperm held together. The female axolotl takes these into her cloaca and the fertilization of the eggs takes place in the female’s body.
A few hours later the female then spawns the eggs, usually they are attached to aquatic plants. Clutches can range in size from 50 to 800 eggs. The eggs should be removed from the tank for safety, otherwise they will be eaten by the axolotl.
About 15 to 20 days later the larvae hatch, usually they are about 0.5 inches (1 cm) long.
In the first two days they still feed on their yolk sac, after that they need food. For small larvae Brine shrimp or small Daphnia are suitable.
Here is a tutorial on how to breed Brine Shrimp and Daphnia at home.
With very young larvae you don’t have to worry about their cannibalistic tendencies yet, mostly these start when they start to develop their front legs. Then you should separate them by size and make sure they have enough hiding places to avoid each other and are well fed.
Axolotls, unlike tadpoles, develop their front legs first and then their back legs. The front legs usually develop when the larva is about 1 inch (2 cm) in size, about 10 days after hatching. The hind legs, on the other hand, usually develop after about 20 days, at which time the lungs also begin to develop.
Usually the larvae grow up to 0,5 inches (1,5 cm) every week, but their development speed is strongly temperature dependent.
Why do axolotls stay in the larval stage for their whole life?
Axolotls become sexually mature without growing out of their larval stage, which is also known as “neoteny“. Normally, amphibians such as frogs and salamander go through a metamorphosis before they become sexually mature, usually evolving from aquatic larvae to animals that can live on land.
In axolotls, the function of their thyroid changed during evolution. This gland secretes hormones that initiate the metamorphosis; without it, the axolotl remains in the larval stage for life.
What triggers metamorphosis in axolotls?
Metamorphosis is caused by a lack of thyroid-stimulating hormones. As a result, the thyroid gland does not produce the hormone Thyroxine, which is responsible for metamorphosis.
Metamorphosis in axolotls can be induced with an injection of the thyroid hormone thyroxine. Iodine can also stimulate the production of thyroxine to start metamorphosis. Since the start of metamorphosis requires either an injection with hormones or iodine additives that quickly become toxic to the axolotl in the wrong amounts, you should never try to morph your axolotl.
Also, axolotls are often weak after metamorphosis and do not eat much. Usually they survive only 1 to 2 years, therefore metamorphosis is often a death sentence for axolotls.
What happens during the metamorphosis of an axolotl?
During metamorphosis, the water-living larval stage of the axolotl becomes a land-living salamander-like animal. It then resembles a tiger salamander, with longer toes.
Its gills have completely regressed and its lungs are developed so that it can live on land. In addition, he now has eyelids and his tail has become rounder, similar to that of a salamander. His skin has changed so that it does not dry out so quickly in the air and his limbs have become more muscular to enable him to walk on land.
Conclusion
Axolotls have a fascinating life cycle and, unlike other amphibians, remain in the larval stage for their entire lives. The metamorphosis of an axolotl is extremely rare without outside intervention and usually causes the animal to die a few years later. An axolotl in the larval stage, on the other hand, can easily live a decade or more if well cared for.