Question: I found an axolotl, what do I do?

Hi everyone. Yesterday my partner and I decided to clean out the pond that is in the backyard of our house that we rent. We have been here since March and thought we'd give it a go. When the water was almost emptied we saw what we thought was a lone, huge gold fish. Upon closer inspection though, we realised it was an enormous axolotl!

He is a big boy (maybe girl, but we've named him Jason.) He's maybe 20+cm long and he's about 10-12cm round in his fattest bit. He's totally black.

We're not sure how long he's been there, but he seems pretty self sufficient. We couldn't see any others in there with him. It gets pretty cold here in winter, and we've had a few frosty mornings, so the temperature of the pond would be in the low single digits (celcius) quite often. I am assuming he has been surving on bugs and worms, but the cold temps would make his metabolism slow down, is that right?

We figured that he's lasted this long in the pond so we just put him back in & filled up the water. (The water is not chlorinated here) Will he be OK in there or would it be best to bring him inside in a tank? Can we leave him in his pond & maybe just feed him? I think he's cool but my partner's not so keen. I had 2 axolotls in my care when I was at highschool so I kind of know what to expect.

Appreciate any ideas or thoughts on how best to manage Jason the Giant Axolotyl.
Thanks

I don't know much about outdoor axolotls, so I'm sure someone more experienced will jump in on that front.

In the meantime, I wanted to welcome you aboard and refer you to Axolotls: The Fascinating Mexican Axolotl and the Tiger Salamander for the tons of information it has on their care and maintenance.

What a great find! I'd love for a pond like that...

It would probably be better to keep him in a tank if you'd like to see him more often. But I think it's up to you, as the owner. Make sure he has shade in the summer so it doesn't get too hot.

That is sooo cool!! I wonder if there are any more like that around NZ? You know, just surviving on their own...Well, if I were you I would put him in a tank so he can be a more enjoyable pet, but I'm sure he's not bothered either way.

Ha! That's cool

You know, the thing about a pet axolotl is, he doesn't know he's a pet axolotl.

He just thinks he has a really good spot.

So, I agree with Danni, he's probably not bothered either way. I'd probably keep him in a tank.

Bren

Yo, buy a nice 3ft tank and keep him nice and safe indoors, id just be worried about predators outside (birds, cats etc)

Once your partner see's how much character these little guys have im sure things will change!

Nice find tho! Very random!

Id keep him in a large tank and watch him grow he may still have another 10cm or so left in him!

Got any pictures?

Doesn't seem possible for it to be an Axolotl. Pictures would help.

Is it winter time for you? Do I have that right? He might have been dumped in there recently. How hot do you think the water would get in the summer? (I'm just realizing that, if it actually is an axolotl, it might not do well in there year round.)

I agree, I think it's most likely he was dumped there. I just can't settle with the idea of axie eggs floating around and landing in your pond.

I would say take him inside, he'll probably end up dying [harsh?] in the pond, especially come summer and big things that like to eat things.

Hi everyone, thanks for all your replies

We didnt manage to get any photos (muddy gardening hands don't mix too well with cameras unfortunately) but he is definately an axolotl. As I said in my first post, I have had axolotls before when I was at school (many moons ago) so I know what they look like. If I can convince the other half to empty the pond again, I can get pictures if you like.

Yes it is winter here now, and it has been pretty cold! The water temp in summer wouldn't get any higher than 20 degrees celcius I would say. The pond is in a shady corner of our back garden and it doesn't get any direct sunlight either.

We think he may have belonged to the previous owner of the house, or the previous tenant. We haven't spoken to our landlord about him but when we moved in she did mention there were fish in the pond at some stage. I don't think he has been dumped in there as the pond is in our back yard, we're up a long driveway and the yard is completely fenced off. Its more likely he was forgotten when the last tentant moved out, he does camoflage with the pond quite well!

Cheers
Abbey

How well he would do outside depends on how deep the pond is. I know of a couple of people here in the states who successfully keep their axolotls in outdoor/semi-outdoor enclosures year around. If the pond is over 18" deep, then the temperature probably remains pretty constant.

I don't feel like he's been dropped there. He was put there on purpose, most likely. It just depends on how long he has been there as to how well he survives. Putting him in a sterile tank environment could actually shock him if not handled properly. He may winter there just fine, but my concern would be with the Summer months. It's my understanding that AU Summers can be pretty nasty.

Abbey, you are there with the pond. You can evaluate the conditions far better than we can. You've kept them before, you have a great resource here as backup. I think draining and refilling that pond may prove stressful. Is there any sort of filtration available? Sorry if I missed that detail.

Love to see this pond! I have been very interested in an axolotl pond project...Always fun to see something different.

Hi

At the temperatures axolotl's like to live in, I reckon Axolotl's would find NZ perfect to live outside in a pond in. I asked around school today and found another girl who's friend had also found one in a tank after realizing their goldfish were being picked off by something. Frogs thrive in New Zealand as well, actually lots of animals thrive in NZ when bought here from other countries (think possums). I think you are right about it being the previous tenant's! I have also heard of them living loooong periods of time here due to favorable conditions (some think close to 25 years)....so yeah....bit of a ramble.

Danni

Abbey said:

Hi everyone, thanks for all your replies

We didnt manage to get any photos (muddy gardening hands don't mix too well with cameras unfortunately) but he is definately an axolotl. As I said in my first post, I have had axolotls before when I was at school (many moons ago) so I know what they look like. If I can convince the other half to empty the pond again, I can get pictures if you like.

Yes it is winter here now, and it has been pretty cold! The water temp in summer wouldn't get any higher than 20 degrees celcius I would say. The pond is in a shady corner of our back garden and it doesn't get any direct sunlight either.

We think he may have belonged to the previous owner of the house, or the previous tenant. We haven't spoken to our landlord about him but when we moved in she did mention there were fish in the pond at some stage. I don't think he has been dumped in there as the pond is in our back yard, we're up a long driveway and the yard is completely fenced off. Its more likely he was forgotten when the last tentant moved out, he does camoflage with the pond quite well!

Cheers
Abbey

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The pond would most likely get a lot hotter than that -- even though it is winter here, when in the sun my tank can get up to 20 and that's high enough for me. It's still cold, so I'd advise either a tank inside or some shade for the summer.

Very cool find though... I just hope no one has introduced axie eggs to the wild.

Abbey said:

Yes it is winter here now, and it has been pretty cold! The water temp in summer wouldn't get any higher than 20 degrees celcius I would say. The pond is in a shady corner of our back

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perhaps you could try planting some ferns and other large leaved plants over the pond to add some extra shade for the summer?

If you are renting, and pardon me if this seems like an insolent question, but what would you do when you move on? How would you make sure it would be ok once the next tenants move in who might not be as clued up as you are?

Definitely adopt him and keep him indoors. Predators could kill him out there, if the heat doesn't. He sounds beautiful, especially since he's so big, and I'm sure he would make a great pet.

Actually, I think he's better off in the pond. There are going to be risks to his life over the years, whether it's in the pond or in an aquarium. (I can list those risks if you'd like a list of pros and cons.) If he's healthy in the pond, why mess with a good thing? The low temps in the pond are not a problem, as long as it doesn't freeze.