Ashley's Axolotl Alley

01/05/2020

The Dodo published the article that has my pictures and videos in it today! Check it out on snapchat!

21/04/2020

The eggs have started to hatch! Has it been 2 weeks already?! Time flies...

20/04/2020

I have some exciting and big news to share!

The Dodo is featuring a handful of my photos and videos in an article about axolotl babies that will be published in 1-2 weeks! 😮😍 The editor is going to do her best to let me know when it's published so I can post it to my pages. I'm beyond excited. I post more on Insta, so go follow my page for exclusive daily pictures and axolotl fun! https://www.instagram.com/axolotl_alley/

17/04/2020

A little update on the hatched babies. I know this is a bit of a sad post but I want to be transparent with you guys: First spawns have the tendency to be weaker and die off more than later spawns. I've been experiencing this, and while I'm still feeding 2x a day and doing water changes at least 2x a day as well, I've still experienced a high mortality rate. 😔 While this was expected, it's a bit disheartening to lose so many. (About 2/3.) I'm hoping no nore will pass but nothing stops nature from taking it's course. 🌎 The remaining babies are growing and eating well!! I haven't been able to get another picture of the little leg nubs... That was a really lucky shot. ❤

16/04/2020

Axolotls are a critically endangered species in the wild. 😞 In 2012's axolotl census a mere 36 were counted in one square kilometer. In Mexico they play a large part in the culture and history of the people. Currently I know of two large programs- local to the axolotls' native land- breeding and releasing axolotls back into the wild and working on bettering their natural environment.

👇 Watch the video below to learn more.

https://youtu.be/SyeZH-ZfyZw

Iconic salamanders that live exclusively in Mexico City’s Xochimilco lake complex, axolotls (Ambystoma mexicanum) are remarkable for a number of reasons. Whi...

15/04/2020

Although axolotls develop fully functional lungs, they breath underwater using gills. Just like bellybuttons, there are innies and outies! Fish have internal gills, and you guessed it, axolotls have external gills. These are the six feathery things coming off the sides of the axolotl's head, which can vary in color, size, and bushy-ness. Axolotls are lazy by nature, and can go long periods of time without moving. 😶 When motionless, you may notice them flicking their gills- like Layla in the video. This is their way of moving clean, oxygenated water to their gills rather than just moving to a fresh patch of water. 🤷‍♀️

You may occasionally see your axolotl dart to the surface and gulp air, this is called Buccal Pumping, and is used to provide extra oxygen to their body. Yep! Sometimes they choose to use their lungs, although it's unnecassary. 😉

14/04/2020

Took these a while back before I had moved Layla and forgot to post them! Here's a size comparison between Layla and the babies. So tiny! They make her look huge! 😂

14/04/2020

These are the parents of the two most recent clutches. 🥚🦎 Babies will be Wild Type, Leucistic, and Albino. Let me know what you're interested in! I'll be rehoming the babies in 4-5 months! 🏡

14/04/2020

The eggs are 3 days old and the embrys are turning into little beans! In a couple more days, you'll be able to see a tail and head. It's crazy how quickly they change! From morning to evening I can see differences in them. ❤ I finally counted them, as well, and there are roughly 324 eggs. Almost 4x the amount of eggs there were in the 1st clutch!

13/04/2020

Layla was being way too cute for her own good during her water change. Just look at that face! I can't get enough. 😍

Axolotls are widely known for their "smiling" faces. Their big, wide mouths used for swallowing prey whole is what gives them this look... 😳 however it appears less frightening- giving them a permanent happy expression, making them the perfect gloomy day partner. 🌦

What's your favorite axolotl characteristic? Comment below 👇

13/04/2020

Sandy boy!! Pickle is really happy that I added some sand back into his and Nibbler's tank. 🏖 I didn't have enough to cover the entire bottom, so I'll get some more after the quarantine. This is just what I had on hand.

It's important when choosing substrate for your axolotls to make sure it's either a fine sand, to reduce the potential for digestive issues when it's inevitably ingested, or stones larger than the largest housed axolotls head. 😶 Axolotls have big mouths and bad eyesight, they'll swallow anything that fits in their mouths.... including very large stones. Aquarium gravel is never suitable for axolotls for this reason. Keep them safest and happiest by going with a fine sand or bare bottom (no substrate) tank. 🥰

11/04/2020

SURPRISE! 😮 Pickle and Layla laid eggs again yesterday! ❤ I forgot to count them, but it looks like 100 or more. They will start hatching in about 2 weeks, and until then you get to watch the egg development alongside the other- hatched- babies I've currently got. 🦎 I'm about to be one busy mama! I've already got my hands full with the other babies doing 2 feedings and water changes a day. 😂

10/04/2020

The babies aren't quite a month old yet, but they're already developing the little nubs where their legs will be! 🦵 I edited this picture to make them a little easier to see, the one on the right is easier to spot just under the gills. I'll try to get a better picture over the next couple days for you guys. They are still doing well and growing like weeds 🌱

06/04/2020

Quilla, my beautiful cat, has been helping me every morning with feedings. She knows her boundaries and listens incredibly well, and never minds the clutter that comes with feeding. The food pictured here you'll notice isn't BBS, but microworms! They're incredible small, about 1/2 to 1/3 the width of a strand of hair. They survive and wriggle in fresh water longer than BBS so I'm giving them a shot with the babies. I have 3 cultures of microworms, and 1 BBS just in case they don't take to or do well on the microworms.

06/04/2020

Check out these beautiful mosaic axolotls! 😍

04/04/2020

The babies are starting to get more color than just black and brown dots! It's so exciting waking up every morning to these little guys and seeing what new progress they've started to make overnight. For anyone keeping track, we're on day 10 outside of the egg. Day 24 overall.

03/04/2020

03/04/2020

Today is the big day! Tune in this afternoon at 3pm Arizona time (6pm EST) for my livestream all about axolotl development!

01/04/2020

The babies got an upgrade today! 🙌 Since they are rapidly growing and the 2 gallon was quickly becoming cramped, I moved them to a medium size sterilite container. Thankfully I'm still able to use my filter on this one and I have a lid to keep them safe from Quilla, my cat. 😼 I'll be putting holes in the lid beforehand for ventilation.

🏡 With how quickly these babies are growing they might be ready for homes in sooner than 6 months!

01/04/2020

I think Layla misses her eggs and babies. 🥺 What do you think? She usually hangs out at the top of the tank- hardly ever in this spot- but this is where she laid her eggs. Now she spends most her afternoons there. 🤔

31/03/2020

I dropped some BBS and just realised how tiny they truly are as individuals. That strip of plastic the water landed on is maybe 1/4 inch wide, and that's an average size droplet of water. 😲🦐

31/03/2020

I get asked this a lot, "How do you pronounce Axolotbsjahc?" Axolotl is pronounced "ak-suh-LAA-tl" or if it's easier put into words you know, like "axe so LOT-l". It's definitely not the easiest to pronounce, it took me a while to get it down if I'm being honest! 😅 You can also call them Mexican Walking Fish. Or, give them a name of your own!

Mine are named Pickle, Layla, and Nibbler. If you had an axolotl what would you name it? Comment below 👇

Comic by Nathan W. Pyle

30/03/2020

Did you know that axolotls prefer live food over pellets? In the wild axolotls live in dim, cave-like spaces and as a result these creatures have very small eyes, and such bad eyesight they are *nearly* blind. 👀 Because of this ailment, they rely on movement and smell 👃 to find their foods. It's recommended that adult axolotls be fed earthworms or red wigglers as a staple part of their diet.

30/03/2020

A lone, empty egg. 🥚 I love how clearly you can see the sac where the baby axolotl used to be. 🦎 Only 30 more babies need to hatch, I already have my hands full with the 65 that are free swimming 😅

30/03/2020

What have I been working on so late at night (or early in the morning 😅😴)?? Check TONIGHT AT 6PM Arizona time to find out!!

29/03/2020

Remember to turn on notifications for us so you never miss when we go live!

29/03/2020

Feeding the baby axolotls!!

29/03/2020

Axolotls are natively found in Lake Xochimilco (pronounced SO-chee-MILL-koh) and Lake Chalco in the Valley of Mexico. Because of this, and axolotls unique fish-like body with legs, another common name for them is the Mexican Walking Fish. Axolotls thrive in the dark parts of the lake often where caves and other small hides and crevices are found. Because of the dim lighting, axolotls evolved to have very small eyes and poor eyesight with a keen sense of smell. They rely heavily on smelling and seeing shadows/movement to locate their food. In the wild axolotls eat a variety of things from earthworms to small fish! It's important in captivity to offer some variety in their diet to not only keep your Axies interested in their food but also give them the proper nutritional balance they crave and need.

29/03/2020

Follow our instagram for more videos and posts!

29/03/2020

29/03/2020

29/03/2020

29/03/2020

There are about 10 babies who have hatched so far, leaving about 85 more still in eggs. I've been doing my best to locate and remove the empty eggs but once there isn't a baby inside they're practically invisible! 😂 All the hatchlings are about the size of a grain of rice. They are eating BBS well and should start sprouting like little weeds soon! I believe between days 30-40 they grow front legs, and right now we're at day 16. I can't wait to see how these little guys develop!

28/03/2020

Meet Nibbler! He's here to help us learn about baby brine shrimp today. Baby Brine Shrimp, or BBS as I call them, are small saltwater dwelling creatures. They're better known as "Sea Monkeys" in their adult phase. When they first hatch they're INCREDIBLY small as seen in the video and you can't make out any features on their tiny bodies. However even this small, they have tails that allow them to flick themselves through the water. This movement in still water almost looks like jumping. Because BBS are sea creatures their water must constantly be moving and oxygenated. You can see I have an air stone in their bottle to keep the water exactly that way, and I pinched the line to adjust the flow to be less strong.

Baby axolotls will not eat anything that doesn't move, so it's important that they be fed live foods the first months of their lives until they are large and strong enough to be transitioned onto powder, then pellet food.

28/03/2020

Hi all! My name is Ashley, and I created this page to educate everyone on proper axolotl care and husbandry. I'm currently a mom to 3 adult axolotls- Pickle, Layla, and Nibbler- and roughly 95 baby axolotls. 🦎 I've been trying to breed Layla and Pickle for about 2 years now and they finally had their first successful spawning (surprise!!) about 2 weeks ago. Now their eggs are hatching and the babies are about the size of a grain of rice! 🍚

In addition to education and updates on how my babies are doing, I'm also going to be looking for homes for most of the babies in about 6 months. 🏡 If you are interested in PURCHASING one of my axolotls you'll be asked to message the page and answer a few questions to ensure these babies are going to not only loving- but educated and prepared families.

Stay tuned for our first eggs and hatchlings update, coming today at 6pm Arizona time!