Axolotl Genders
You cannot tell the gender of an axolotl until they are sexually mature. There is no set age because all axolotl grow at different rates - dependant on many factors. However, generally once your axolotl is over 20cms you should begin to be able to notice different characteristics of either a male or female.
Males have narrower and longer heads. Their body is more streamline and slim. They develop a lump behind their back legs (cloaca). The shape of the cloaca will be longer and flatter compared to a female cloaca.
Females have shorter rounder heads. Their torsos are generally more of a round shape and when they are gravid they can swell greatly to be extremely plump! They generally have no lump behind their back legs, but some females will have a small lump. The shape will be more like a volcanoe - short and pointy.
Breeding Ages
It is really important you don't breed an axolotl too soon. For females in particular it can have many negative results such as a shortened life span, stunted growth, and ill health. This can also happen if you breed your female too often. This isn't as important for males because it is much less stressful for a male and it doesn't have as much effect on their bodies. We recommend to wait till your axolotl has stopped growing before breeding.
Breeding axolotl
Once you have a healthy male and female axolotl that are sexually mature and have finished growing you can consider breeding. Breeding season is normally during the end of winter/spring because the temperatures are ideal. But if you have a steady temperature about 16-17c all year round, then you can attempt to breed at any time. It's a good idea to feed your female up (condition her) before breeding because it will take a lot of energy to produce the eggs and lay them. A female can lay in excess of 1000+ eggs over a number of days, although smaller clutches of a few hundred are more common.
When together, the male will begin a mating dance. He will swim constantly, perhaps wriggle his tail in a creepy way, and lay spermatophores for the female to pick up with her cloaca. All the activity may make his colours more vibrant, his gills brighter, and if he is a white axolotl he may go rather pinkish especially in the tail. This is normal and caused by an increased blood flow. He will nudge her around in an attempt to get her to pick up his sperm. If successful fertilisation will happen internally and the female will begin to lay within 72hours. The male can be removed again to allow the female to lay in peace.
Remember to to feed both axolotl good nutritional food to replenish the energy spent in the mating process. We feed the female as much as she can eat for two weeks after laying. We also recommend not to breed a female again for a minimum of three months. This allows her to recuperate from the stress and exertion of laying. A strong healthy female will produce strong healthy eggs so it's important to keep her (and him) in excellent health.
Fun fact: all albino axolotl will lay pure white eggs. All other axolotl will lay black or half black half white eggs. The colour of the eggs doesn't affect the colour of the axolotl when it hatches though, that is determined by the genetics of the parents.
So you have eggs?
Once your axolotl have successfully bred the fun begins! Within a few days the eggs will go from wee circles to beans and onto mini axolotl just before they hatch.
You cannot tell the gender of an axolotl until they are sexually mature. There is no set age because all axolotl grow at different rates - dependant on many factors. However, generally once your axolotl is over 20cms you should begin to be able to notice different characteristics of either a male or female.
Males have narrower and longer heads. Their body is more streamline and slim. They develop a lump behind their back legs (cloaca). The shape of the cloaca will be longer and flatter compared to a female cloaca.
Females have shorter rounder heads. Their torsos are generally more of a round shape and when they are gravid they can swell greatly to be extremely plump! They generally have no lump behind their back legs, but some females will have a small lump. The shape will be more like a volcanoe - short and pointy.
Breeding Ages
It is really important you don't breed an axolotl too soon. For females in particular it can have many negative results such as a shortened life span, stunted growth, and ill health. This can also happen if you breed your female too often. This isn't as important for males because it is much less stressful for a male and it doesn't have as much effect on their bodies. We recommend to wait till your axolotl has stopped growing before breeding.
Breeding axolotl
Once you have a healthy male and female axolotl that are sexually mature and have finished growing you can consider breeding. Breeding season is normally during the end of winter/spring because the temperatures are ideal. But if you have a steady temperature about 16-17c all year round, then you can attempt to breed at any time. It's a good idea to feed your female up (condition her) before breeding because it will take a lot of energy to produce the eggs and lay them. A female can lay in excess of 1000+ eggs over a number of days, although smaller clutches of a few hundred are more common.
When together, the male will begin a mating dance. He will swim constantly, perhaps wriggle his tail in a creepy way, and lay spermatophores for the female to pick up with her cloaca. All the activity may make his colours more vibrant, his gills brighter, and if he is a white axolotl he may go rather pinkish especially in the tail. This is normal and caused by an increased blood flow. He will nudge her around in an attempt to get her to pick up his sperm. If successful fertilisation will happen internally and the female will begin to lay within 72hours. The male can be removed again to allow the female to lay in peace.
Remember to to feed both axolotl good nutritional food to replenish the energy spent in the mating process. We feed the female as much as she can eat for two weeks after laying. We also recommend not to breed a female again for a minimum of three months. This allows her to recuperate from the stress and exertion of laying. A strong healthy female will produce strong healthy eggs so it's important to keep her (and him) in excellent health.
Fun fact: all albino axolotl will lay pure white eggs. All other axolotl will lay black or half black half white eggs. The colour of the eggs doesn't affect the colour of the axolotl when it hatches though, that is determined by the genetics of the parents.
So you have eggs?
Once your axolotl have successfully bred the fun begins! Within a few days the eggs will go from wee circles to beans and onto mini axolotl just before they hatch.