Getting to know axolotl
Before discussing whether you can or can’t hold an axolotl, it is better to get to know it first. With the scientific name Ambystoma Mexican, the axolotl is an amphibian, a type of salamander that can only be found in Mexico and is known as the Mexican salamander. It is also called the walking fish because it is like a fish with legs. Unlike other salamanders, the axolotl depends on water and, despite Having lungs, uses its gills more. This salamander is carnivorous, and meat is the main diet.
This salamander has a flat and wide head much wider than its body.
It also has gills shaped like feathers and protruding from each side of the head, so it can breathe underwater.
He feeds mostly on larvae and various worms, and small fish. Axolotl’s lifespan is usually between 10 and 15 years, and it is also an egg-laying animal.
Specifications:
- Name: Axolotl
- Familly: Ambystomatidae
- Diet category: Carnivore
- Habitat: South America
- Maximum size: 100 cm
- Lifespan: 10 to 15 years
- Weight: 70 to 250 grams
- Propagation: Laying eggs
- Maintenance Conditions: easy
- Required water: 100 liters
- Water temperature: 12c° to 22c°
Unique feature
Axolotl is an amazing and unique type of salamander because it can regenerate its lost organs. Axolotl can repair the damaged parts of its body, or if cut off, it can regenerate it. He can even regenerate his heart, brain parts, and even his damaged spinal cord. This unique feature and his strange ability to regenerate body parts have attracted the attention of scientists and his use in the laboratory and research on this animal.
Danger of extinction
Unfortunately, today just a few axolotls remain in the wild and are at serious risk of extinction. Their habitat is mostly in the lakes and canals of Mexico, which have dried up due to flood prevention and the urban growth of Mexico City.
Increasing pollution is one of the destructive factors for the life of axolotls.
Also, the existence of fish species such as carp and tilapia in the lakes, as well as the draining of water from the lakes to supply water to cities, is another reason for the extinction of this creature. In Mexico, this salamander is also edible, and people hunt it.
Can you hold an axolotl?
It is difficult to answer this question: can you hold an axolotl? It is better to say yes, you can hold an axolotl with your hands, but as much as possible, do not do this except when necessary and with some precautions. Axolotls are very delicate animals. And they are vulnerable; they are not interested in petting and touching us like other pets, and they prefer to be alone and explore by themselves. However, if in special circumstances, such as when we want to change the water in their tank or the cleaning the tank, and even when the animal is sick, and we want to give it medicine, we have to hold axolotl, we must do it very slowly. Before doing this, you must wash your hands to be clean because your hands always contain some germs and bacteria that can be transferred to the axolotl and cause infection and disease. If you want to hold it in the water with your hands, approach it slowly and gently and do not stress the animal, and if it escapes from your hands, Do not try to catch it again and let the animal calm down a bit and then repeat this process. If you want to remove the axolotl from the water, be sure to provide a container with water at a suitable temperature and quickly transfer it to that container. It is true that the axolotl is an amphibian and has lungs it can breathe outside the water, but know that it is more like a fish than other types of salamanders. Because the metamorphosis stage in this animal is never completed, and his lungs are never complete, the time it can stay out of the water is one to two minutes, and the animal will be seriously injured in more time. Be sure to use your two hands to catch it, and first take its legs back and separate them because the axolotl will try to escape in your hands, and its delicate legs may be damaged. Every time you want to hold it with your hands, be sure to pay attention to his head and lungs because they are the most sensitive parts of the axolotl’s body and will be easily damaged.
Why shouldn’t you hold an axolotl?
As we said, you can hold an axolotl but you better not! So why you shouldn’t hold an axolotl? The answer is axolotls have very delicate and vulnerable bodies, and we should not hold them with our hands except when necessary. Their skin is very sensitive, their internal organs are very vulnerable, and they can be damaged seriously. Axolotl indeed can repair and regenerate its organs, but it is still a sensitive and vulnerable animal, and such injuries can cause the death of the animal. Also, their life depends on water, and if axolotl is left outside the water for a long, it will be seriously damaged. The skin of the axolotl starts to dry, and the animal suffers from dehydration. Its lungs will be seriously damaged due to dryness, and it will have breathing problems even when it returns to the water. Also, the legs of this animal are adapted to live in water. And it cannot bear the weight of the animal, and we should not leave it outside the water for a long time to keep it on its feet.
Can you harm an axolotl by holding it?
We can easily damage the axolotl by holding it. its bones are very delicate and fragile, and also his chest bones are cartilaginous and soft, and the internal organs of the axolotl will be damaged with a little pressure. Also, its gill too, Think of it like its lungs, which is made up of very delicate feathers, and inside each of these feathers, there are many veins and capillaries in which a lot of blood flows and oxygen exchange takes place through these capillaries, and while fishes have to move for their breathing. The axolotl can stay still and breathe only by shaking its gills. However, these very sensitive and vital organs of his body can be seriously damaged or infected with bacteria and pathogenic substances with the slightest carelessness. Also, the skin of the axolotl is very soft and slimy, and in addition to the possibility of contamination and transfer of bacteria to the animal’s body, there is also the possibility that it may slip and fall from your hands, which causes serious damage to the animal. Stress also is another factor that may cause damage to axolotl because when you catch it with your hands, you put a lot of stress on it , and also, when it is out of the water and the conditions around it have changed, it gets a lot of stress, and this amount of stress can cause serious injuries, and it can be harmed.
Are axolotls poisonous, and can humans be harmed by holding them?
Salamanders have many species, and many of them are poisonous; they transfer their poison through their skin, and it is dangerous for humans to touch them, but axolotls are not poisonous, and there is no poison in their bodies that is dangerous for humans. So you can hold an axolotl without being harmed. These creatures are very safe because their hands are also very delicate, and they have very small and safe claws that do not harm humans. Also, axolotls have many small teeth, and they try to bite in the first encounter to fight and defend themselves, but the teeth are also very soft and rubbery, and they cannot cause any harm to humans. Their skin is also quite soft and smooth and does not have any thorns or scales like fish. In general, axolotls are indeed carnivorous and aggressive animals, but there is no danger to humans. And we are the ones who have to be careful of harming the axolotl.
The axolotl is a unique amphibian animal that has an amazing ability to regenerate its body parts, and for this reason, it has received a lot of attention from scientists, and many experiments have been performed on it to treat human diseases; unfortunately, this animal is at risk of extinction, and the number In captivity of this animal is more than its wild number. Also, to keep this animal, you must be very careful and treat it carefully because the animal is very sensitive and vulnerable, especially when you want to hold it.
FAQs about holding an axolotl?
Can you hold an axolotl?
Yes, you can but better not or do it very carefully
Why you shouldn’t hold an axolotl?
Because it is a very sensitive and vulnerable animal
Can you harm an axolotl by holding it?
Because axolotl has slippery skin and doesn’t like you holding it, and it also has very delicate gills, so yes, you can harm it by holding it.
Are axolotls poisonous, and can humans be harmed by holding them?
No, axolotls are not poisonous; they are harmless and do not harm humans when holding them.