Size
The diagram above is a summary of the development of the Axolotl,
from egg to adult. The red line below each animal represents 2 mm. The
egg (stage 1) is generally an amphibian. It comprises of the embryo, which measures
about 2 mm in diameter, and also the surrounding layers of jelly. The jelly is
the product of water and a substance that is secreted around the egg when it is
laid. Stage 2 is the embryo prior to hatching. At this stage it is approximately
11mm in length. Stage 3 is the young larva, before the growth of limbs.
Larval axolotls tend to be clear for their first few weeks of life, or
until the skin has thickened and pigment cells have proliferated over the body,
so the organs are quite visible, as well as the progress of any food in the
digestive tract.
After about two weeks, the larva reaches stage 4. Like all other
newts and salamanders, frogs and toads, the front legs develop first, followed within a few weeks by the hind legs.
At stage 5 the axolotl is, to all intents and purposes, a miniature adult.
A large size for most axolotls would be 25-30 cm (10-12 inches). The
average seems to be about 23-25 cm (9-10 inches). Adults tend to reach their
full size after eighteen months to two years, the growth rate depending on how
well they are fed and at what temperature they are kept.
from egg to adult. The red line below each animal represents 2 mm. The
egg (stage 1) is generally an amphibian. It comprises of the embryo, which measures
about 2 mm in diameter, and also the surrounding layers of jelly. The jelly is
the product of water and a substance that is secreted around the egg when it is
laid. Stage 2 is the embryo prior to hatching. At this stage it is approximately
11mm in length. Stage 3 is the young larva, before the growth of limbs.
Larval axolotls tend to be clear for their first few weeks of life, or
until the skin has thickened and pigment cells have proliferated over the body,
so the organs are quite visible, as well as the progress of any food in the
digestive tract.
After about two weeks, the larva reaches stage 4. Like all other
newts and salamanders, frogs and toads, the front legs develop first, followed within a few weeks by the hind legs.
At stage 5 the axolotl is, to all intents and purposes, a miniature adult.
A large size for most axolotls would be 25-30 cm (10-12 inches). The
average seems to be about 23-25 cm (9-10 inches). Adults tend to reach their
full size after eighteen months to two years, the growth rate depending on how
well they are fed and at what temperature they are kept.