Question: Axolotl lost gills , changed color

[Julie Alleman]

We bought Bubble and his buddy in the mall as a "Baby Dinosaur" March of last year . The man told us he can be taken out and played with for short periods of time just to keep him wet. Once we got home I looked up information on them and found out they live in water and not to hold them because they breath under water. We set him up in an aquarium with a pump but one died two weeks in. A few months back I noticed he has changed from yellow with black spots to a camouflage color and lost his feather gills and noticed him spending most of his time on top of the rocks I had in his tank with head above water but do see him at bottom as well. I am wondering if this is normal for them to do?

 

[headFeed]

Sounds alot like your axolotl is metamorphosizing.
Give this a read:

http://www.caudata.org/forum/f46-beginner-newt-salamander-axolotl-help-topics/f48-axolotls-ambystoma-mexicanum/f57-axolotl-general-discussion/51411-metamorphed-axolotl.html

Please post pictures when you can to see if he truly is going through this!

It could be a stressful morph from possibly poor care from the man you bought them from though. Axolotls are not meant to stay out of the water unless they're being transferred!

 

[Skudo09]

Could you post some photos? It sounds like you may have a tiger salamander rather than an axolotl. I have read posts on similar stories very similar to yours.

As above it sounds like it is morphing into a salamander. Have you tested the parameters for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, PH and temperature? Did you cycle the tank?

 

[Charlotl]

I adopted three tiger salamanders from someone who also bought "baby dragons" thinking they were axolotls at a flea market. There is a guy in OKC who is infamous for misleading people like this. Since tiger salamanders are very common in the wild here in the south it is very likely you do have a tiger. Pictures will help confirm it though. Just in case you are worried, tiger salamanders are very easy to care for. If he is already going up to the air to breathe he needs to be put in an a moist dirt substrate (I prefer coco fiber) with a bowl of water to sit in if he wants. If you cannot do this right away lower the water level and make sure he can sit comfortably near the surface to breathe.

Check out this link for more detailed information: Caudata Culture Articles - Tiger Salamander 101