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AmphibianTerrestrialIntermediate
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Axolotl (Leucistic)
Ambystoma mexicanum "Leucistic"
Completely pink-white with bright red external gills and black eyes. The most iconic color morph in the hobby, resembling a baby dragon.
Class:Amphibia
Order:Caudata
Family:Ambystomatidae
Genus:Ambystoma
Species:Ambystoma mexicanum "Leucistic"
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Environment
Terrestrial
Humidity
100 %
Day temperature
16 - 20 °C
Night temperature
14 °C
Ambient temperature
16 - 20 °C
Minimum enclosure
>= 45 L
UVB
None
Species description
Geographical Origin and Habitat: Originally endemic to the high-altitude lake and canal system of the Valley of Mexico (specifically Lake Xochimilco). In the wild, they lived in cold, muddy-bottomed waters surrounded by dense aquatic plants and chinampas (artificial islands). Now critically endangered in the wild.
Taxonomy and Genetics: A neotenic salamander that reaches sexual maturity and an adult size of up to 30 cm while retaining larval characteristics, including external feathery gills and a finned tail. The "Leucistic" morph is characterized by a translucent pinkish-white body with contrasting dark eyes and vibrant red or pink gills.
Behavior and Habits: Peaceful and mostly sedentary, spending long periods resting on the bottom. They are solitary and have no schooling behavior. Because they lack eyelids and have poor vision, they swallow prey using suction, and will attempt to eat anything small enough, including tankmates.
Morphology: Sexual dimorphism is visible in adult specimens: mature males exhibit a highly swollen cloacal area at the base of the tail, while adult females are typically broader, rounder, and heavier due to carrying eggs.
Care, breeding and tankmates
Terrarium Setup: Strictly aquatic. Requires a large aquarium (at least 80–100 cm in length). Maintain very low water flow using spray bars, as strong currents cause severe stress. Use fine aquarium sand or keep the tank bottom bare; gravel or small stones can be swallowed, causing fatal impaction.
Lighting and Heating: Cold water is critical. Ideal temperature range is 16–20°C; temperatures above 24°C cause severe stress and fatal fungal infections. Aquarium chillers are mandatory in warm climates. Keep lighting dim using floating plants, as they have no eyelids.
Humidity and Hydration: Fully aquatic. Require hard, alkaline, well-oxygenated freshwater. Weekly large water changes and waste siphoning are necessary to control ammonia. Use high-quality water conditioners to remove chlorine and chloramine.
Feeding and Supplementation: Carnivorous. Provide high-quality earthworms, bloodworms, or sinking axolotl pellets. Avoid feeding red meat, mammalian livers, or poultry, which can cause fatty liver disease.
Compatibility: Best kept alone or with axolotls of the exact same size. Larger individuals will nip at or swallow smaller tankmates. Avoid housing them with sucker-mouth catfish (e.g. plecos) which can graze on and damage the axolotl's delicate skin.
Health and Common Diseases: Susceptible to fungal infections (Saprolegnia) at higher temperatures. Treatable with cool temperatures, tea baths, or salt baths. Extremely sensitive to heavy metals (copper, iron) in tap water. Never handle them as skin oils can damage their mucus layer.
Geographic Origin and Distribution
Originally endemic to the high-altitude lake and canal system of the Valley of Mexico (specifically Lake Xochimilco). In the wild, they lived in cold, muddy-bottomed waters surrounded by dense aquatic plants and chinampas (artificial islands). Now critically endangered in the wild.
Origin
Selective breeding and cultivarsCentral America and Caribbean
Amphibian profile
- Diet
- No verified data available
- Life expectancy
- No verified data available
- Adult size
- 30 cm
- Lifestyle/Microhabitat
- No verified data available
- Activity cycle
- No verified data available
- Sociality
- No verified data available
- Reproduction
- No verified data available
- Toxicity
- No verified data available
- Life stage
- No verified data available
- Handling tolerance
- No verified data available
- Brumation
- No verified data available
- Molting
- No verified data available
The catalog's scalar value is 30 cm. The AmphiBIO v1 source reports a maximum adult measurement of 30 cm for this species, recorded as total length (TL). These figures are not interchangeable: the first is the profile's editorial reference, whereas the second is a published maximum under a specific measurement convention; differences among sources can reflect sex, population, life stage and measuring method.
Image gallery
Licensed images linked to the species or, when marked, to the closest representative taxon.
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