Ambystoma mexicanum
Axolotl
Cool, treated water, a filter rated for a larger tank, and a lid. A fan or a chiller is part of the setup in a warm house.
Legal status
- CITES II
Ambystoma mexicanum is recorded as CITES Appendix II under the species listing for Ambystoma mexicanum. No EU annex letter was verified for this exact species in this record, so the annex field is empty. Confirm Commission Regulation (EU) 2023/966 before you import, sell, or rely on an annex. Not marked as an EU invasive alien species. Not marked venomous. Not named in 50 CFR 16.15. Check local rules before you keep, move, or rehome an animal. This record is not a permit and not legal advice.
Official sourceNot legal advice. Rules differ by country, and sometimes by region. Check the law that applies to you.
- Temperature
- 16–18°C
- UVB
- No UVB lamp. Not applied. This is a fully aquatic salamander. Do not put it in a tropical aquarium.
- Humidity
- 100–100%
- Minimum enclosure
- About an 80 cm aquarium for one adult
- Adult size
- About 20–30 cm.
- Lifespan
- Often 10–15 years.
- Difficulty
- intermediate
Diet and feeding
Earthworms, pellets made for axolotls, and similar soft protein. Not feeder fish as a staple. Juveniles daily. Adults every 2–3 days.
Substrate
Bare bottom or fine sand. Gravel is swallowed.
Health
Heat stress above about 20°C, impaction, and fungus on the gills when the water is dirty.
Handling
Do not lift them out for fun. A net stresses the slime coat. Eggs hatch in roughly 2–3 weeks in cool water. That is larval rearing, not reptile egg incubation.
Husbandry ranges are general guidance for captive care, not a veterinary prescription or a permit. Confirm the gradient with your own thermometers. UV zones follow Baines et al., Journal of Zoo and Aquarium Research 4(1), 2016, https://www.jzar.org/jzar/article/view/150. Legal fields use the source link on this species and stay empty when an annex was not verified.