Squishy's first worm.

So this morning I went to my local store that sells a bunch of farm stuff like food for farm animals and stuff like that and I found out that they had nightcrawlers, I think these are the same as earth worms? I bought some, since I am almost positive they are the same thing, and I brought them home, and I cute one up into little pieces and fed to squishy with tweezers. I have to say, I thought I was going to throw up, I am a HUGE lover of all things living and when I cut the worm and it started bleeding I got all teary eyed. Squishy loved them though! she sucked in three big pieces and swallowed them and is now sitting in her tank looking very pudgy. So I was just wondering, how big of a piece should I feed her? The pieces she got today were about an inch or so long and she had three. Can anyone give me specifics on how long the pieces should be, how many she should get, how often etc? and are night crawlers the same as earth worms? Please help me. Thanks.

How big is Squishy?

I'd say between 5 and 6 inches.

Nightcrawlers are the same as earthworms. Just bigger.*

If you go to a bait shop or angler's shop (you know, where you buy fishing licenses and rods and bobbers), they usually sell worms in different sizes, so you should be able to find smaller worms that don't have to be cut up.

I read a great tip from Terri9967 to cut the worms into pieces as long as the axolotl's head is wide. Seems like a good unit of measurement to me!

* For more info on worms, check here: http://www.caudata.org/cc/articles/worms.shtml

-Eva

You could try and just cut one in half. If it is to much Squishy will spit it out. I'am not sure but I think red worms are smaller. Not blood worms. My dad get his worms for fishing from Wal-mart . He picked up the wrong ones they were to small. He sais they were red worms.

There is a type of worm called a red wriggler. These worms have a strong odor - not just for axolotls, but even noticeable by humans. The strong smell is a bit put-offish.

In my experience, an axolotl will also eat a worm that you may think is too large for it. Kind of like that picture of the snake swallowing a kangaroo - it doesn't look pleasant and I bet the snake was sorry it started, but it will get it digested in the end. Whether or not this is a good thing, I leave open for discussion.

I meant that at a tackle shop (not Walmart), they have little tubs of worms that are sorted by size. They are all the same kind of plain old earthworm (don't have a Latin name for you at this moment), but just sorted. I have the small for my juveniles and the medium for my adults, simply because I don't feel like chopping worms.

One more thing I would add, just in case it is or becomes relevant: some axolotls simply have this method of eating worms, in that they suck it in while it is wriggling, then spit it out, then suck it in and spit it out, until the (poor) worm is exhausted and can't wriggle anymore. Then they eat it.

I believe Squishy is still quite young? I would give her one small worm each day, or, say, one or two inches of worm. If you use nightcrawlers, I would not feed her an entire worm daily - it must weigh as much as she does! You can always take a piece off of the worm's tail (the part furthest away from the bulge) each day and give it to her, but then we get into issues of worms' feelings...

You can also set up a worm farm and grow your own (or look in the garden). Then you can then pick the size you need.

-Eva

Thank you so much for all your answers! Squishy is quite young and she had three pieces of worm about an inch in size each haha now she is sitting in the back of her aquarium looking fat. When she ate the worms she did spit one piece in and out a couple times before sucking it in and refusing to budge until it swallowed. It was kinda funny because her little face was all bulged out and she looked like a hamster with a cookie in its cheeks but she would not let that worm out! I think I accidently killed the worm with the first cut but she didnt seem to mind, there was blood and little worm guts everywhere and I really thought I was going to cry.

As for worms that are smaller sizes, I live in a tiny town, the closest wal mart is about 30 minutes away. My "bait shop" in town has nightcrawlers and mealworms. thats it haha. so cut up night crawlers it is.

Hey there

I have an axolotl that's about 6 inches long and I feed it earth worms I got from a fishing shop. I'm told they were 'medium size'. They seem to kind of compress/extend and they're quite strong, but my axie will happily tackle a worm that's nearly as long as him. He basically squishes the whole thing into his mouth (somehow...) and chews it up for a while. Sometimes he'll chew it up and then spit it out and go back to it later, as someone above mentioned. It's kinda funny when he takes a while doing it - like a big pink tongue sticking out!

I generally give him an entire worm (maybe 3 inches long?) about twice a week, and he pretty much always eats the whole thing.

Indeed - nightcrawlers it is and should be!

Just remember - what better meaning in life could a worm have than to become axolotl food? What an exotic way to go! And it's all for the betterment of an endangered species.

-Eva

Yes, I am a big wuss and I can't handle cutting up wiggly things or thinking about them getting eaten but I guess it is best because Squishy sucked them in and happily chomped on them. I am always afraid I am either over feeding or under feeding her haha. I will figure it out eventually but thanks so much for all your comments! I unfortunately killed my night crawlers already by leaving them in the car for too long (I am terrible!) so tomorrow will warrant another trip to the Mill to get more and they will be put in a big bucket o' dirt and hopefully will survive long enough to see the aquarium *mwhahaha* (that was my evil earth worm killing laugh). Knowing that almost everyone else feed their axoltols worms makes me feel a little better, I am sure it will get better with time. thanks everyone!

AGreenDarkness said:

Yes, I am a big wuss and I can't handle cutting up wiggly things or thinking about them getting eaten but I guess it is best because Squishy sucked them in and happily chomped on them.

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I used to have to restrain myself from rescuing the poor worm...not anymore though!

AGreenDarkness said:

I am always afraid I am either over feeding or under feeding her haha. I will figure it out eventually but thanks so much for all your comments!

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A general guide is to monitor the belly. The axolotl's belly should be about as wide as the head, plump but not obese.

As wide as the head in the front like where the mouth is or back towards the gills? cause her tummy is about as wide as her head up by the front

AGreenDarkness said:

As wide as the head in the front like where the mouth is or back towards the gills? cause her tummy is about as wide as her head up by the front

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About as wide as the head at the head's widest point.