Question: New Axy with strange blotches

[tonyntash]

Hi,
We got our first Axolotl yesturday, her name is Jelly bean and she's a golden albino.
We got her from the local pet store, they said she had been brought in by a lady who's kids had stopped showing interest in her, so we don't know how old she is but she has a lovely temprament and loves to be hand fed. We spent alot of time making sure her tank would be ready for her and she would be happy.
The problem is she has large dark brown almost red blotches on her head and one on her side behind her arm.
I have looked at alot of pictures of axolotls but havn't seen one with these type of markings. At first thought we thought they were bruises or impact wounds. In the pet shop she was in the tank they used to store all the plant life, she was alone but the plant life was bunched together with wire and the tank was full so she couldn't swim.
I'll post a picture of her so you can see.
In the picture you can see the marks on one side of her head, but the are on both sides.
Hopefully someone can tell us if this is normal markings or maybe she has a problem.
Thanks

 

[tonyntash]

srry prob attaching pics

 

[Darkmaverick]

Axie appears healthy. Other than the blotches, are there any other signs of illness or stress?

I would say the blotches are just localised areas of hyperpigmentation and shouldn't have a problem.

The pebbles can pose an impaction risk though and are worth removing.

 

[tonyntash]

Thank you so much for replying so quick.
She seems to be happy in her new home she is very friendly and spent the first 24hrs busily exploring.
She eats well and would probably eat all the time if we gave it to her, blood worms and crickets at the moment. Tonight though she seems to have gone to sleep for the last couple of hours which is strange for a nocturnal animal ....?
We will change the gravel for some river sand soon as possible.

 

[Darkmaverick]

Yes its quite normal for the axie to readjust to new surroundings. Their 'routine' will become more defined and established over a period of time when they are settled in.

Diet wise, i highly recommend you feed earthworms and blackworms or good axie pellets as staple. Bloodworms and crickets are suitable only as occasional treats. I would actually also advise against feeding chitinous insects like beetles, crickets, mealworms etc. as their chitinous shells are not really digestible and can cause constipation.