Question: I think that my Axolotl is going through Metamorphosis

Hi All,

I'm new to this site and to Axolotls in general and need some good advice on what to do. My boyfriend and I rescued an Axolotl that had been dumped in our community garden pond a couple of weeks ago, I was given the advice that I should take it out as it wouldn't be a suitable environment for her and she would most likely die if left there. So I got her out, bought a 64ltr tank with a filter set up and put large stones and live plants in there. She was very nervous in the first week and didn't seem to take well to blood worms, so we have started feeding her live earth worms (which she LOVES!) and she seem a lot more settle.

We have now noticed that she looks a little different, hey eyes look bulgy and I have seen her blink on more than one occasion, furthermore her gills are noticeably shorter, although they are still visible and she looks like she has more pigment on her skin and are worried that she may be going through metamorphosis.

We are at a loss at what we should be doing, and wanted to find out if there is anything that you can do to stop this from happening and if not how long it takes. We know that if it happens she will no longer be aquatic and we have built up some rocks in her tank and given a platform that she can go onto to get air if she needs it. Any advice or help on this would be much appreciated! I have attached some pics, the one that is a collage shows her when we first got her and then her now, so you can see the difference in gill length. The others are all her now, also any idea how old she could be......

Thanks a lot!!

Tanya & Benny

She's certainly showing some signs - legs, gills, fin, eyes.

The only thing to do is prepare for the possibility, if you can get a turtle ramp they are ideal, but a pile of rocks is fine too.

Look up the basics of mole salamander care and be prepared - they are not too hard to care for.

I would agree that he looks to be morphing! I had one go through a natural morph and yours is very reminiscent of what I was seeing early on in the metamorphosis. I've attached some pictures of my axolotl progressing and you will likely see similar changes in yours. Mine has since reached maturity and has yet to leave the water in favor of land. I keep her in a large bin with a water depth of around three inches. So far she has been very healthy and active. Coming into a room to see an axolotl sleeping with their eyes appearing closed is still very jarring.

I think there is some validity to the thought that multiple factors are needed to trigger a natural morph, such as a biological propensity to morph, possible growth hormones in the diet, and overcrowding of juveniles. I'm sure the list of possible factors could be infinite, but these factors are what I believe contributed to the triggering of mine to morph.

It might benefit the community if you listed as much detail as possible related to your little guy. Mainly diet, environment, water conditions, tank mates, etc.