Question: How many toes should an axolotl have?

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saviefav

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I have two that are about a year and three months old, and they are in separate tanks by themselves, and each has four toes on three legs, and five on the last leg. Is this normal? Also, is there a difference between males and females and number of toes? Are the toes at all helpful as far as sexing them goes?
 
They should have 4 toes on the front legs and 5 on the back ones. The tips of the toes will turn white when they reach sexual maturity.
 
Number of toes has nothing to do with sexing axies. However, loss of digits (such as from cannibalism) and overzealous regeneration often lead to less or more toes on the foot. In dark coloured axies, toe tips will turn white with sexual maturity, with light coloured axies, the reverse occurs and toe tips will turn black.
 
My axie has six toes on his back left foot, although the rest of the toes are all normal numbers!
 
One of mine has 4 on front 5 on back , the other has 4 on front and 6 on back. :alien:
 
My axie (Chancey) has 9 toes on the front left 7 on the front right and 5 on both back legs. That wierd or normal for axies?
 
That's definitely weird. The back feet are normal (with 5 toes), but the front should have 4. While it's not detrimental to have extra toes (or gills, or even sometimes tails!), it's not normal. Regeneration is often imperfect, and slight damage can trigger regeneration, even if the original toe wasn't removed. So then you get two toes in place of one.

I'd love to see pictures.
 
Additionally, generations of consanguinity and no selection other than that based on color, has taken its toll.
And odd number of fingers is the least of the concerns...there are worse things your axolotls could have.
I would advice not to keep breeding any axolotls that show obvious mutations, but it´s not like anybody is going to listen to that o_O
 
Makes since to me. Thanks a bunch Kaysie. I'll have pictures of chancey posted real soon if ya wanna see him :)
 
Got some picutres up of his crazy feet if you want to see on my profile. A little blurry though couldnt help that but you can def see alot of extra toes haha. And anyone know how i get a picutre to show up when i post, like a profile picture? (picture under my name). thanks.
 
my axolotl has 3 toes one front foot, 4 on the other front foot, 5 on one back foot, and a upside down foot with six toes and with on toe coming out of the heel, is this normal ?
 
Nope. Not "normal", but it sounds like he has had to regenerate quite a bit. Was likely housed improperly before you got him.
 
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    with axolotls would I basically have to keep buying and buying new axolotls to prevent inbred breeding which costs a lot of money??
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  • Thorninmyside:
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    @Thorninmyside, I Lauren chen
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