Photo Diaries

This section is to show a photo diary of something, usually a growth or progression. The main two are the development of axolotl eggs, and the second is the rejection of a mangled limb and the regrowing process.

This photo diary shows the development of axolotl eggs from when they are first laid, right up to when they hatch.

Egg Development

Day One First, they are small circular eggs covered in goo. An albino mother will lay white eggs.	Day One Other axolotls will lay either entirely brown eggs, or eggs that are half white and half brown.	Day Three-Four After about two days, they elongate slightly, looking like an opening flower bud.
Day Six By about the sixth day, they start to curl around.	Day Eight At about the eighth day, they elongate further, and develop separate parts for the head and body, and wee bumps begin to grow around the gills area.	Day Ten to Twelve They develop individual gill fronds, and start to look just like axolotls, but they'll probably take another week to hatch.
Golden Albino Babies

Regrowing a Limb

This photodiary records the rejection of a mangled limb, protruding bone included, and the slow process of how the limb grows back. It is quite interesting to see how it grows.

No Legs Poor Eugene got into an accident with a bigger axolotl and was left with half a leg, and just a stump on the other side. This is to document his recovery.	The fungus sets in The arm went white and the fungus started to cover it, eating away at the dead flesh, revealing the tiny hand bones.	Continuing
The dead hand breaks away And all that is left is the bone stump	No more bone The bone has been fully rejected from the body, instead of the skin regrowing around it. Fascinating, isn't it?	Lil Hand A tiny hand has grown on the stump of the arm. Instead of growing the forearm first, the hand has grown first.
Ghostly tiny-hand-like tendrils begin to form around the entire new limb	The new limb is coming through, looking more solid than before. The arm on the other side has completely grown back.

The Growth of an Axolotl

Fresh hatchling Next to a bobby pin to show size comparison, it's hard to believe something so tiny grows to be more than 20cms long	First weeks They stay quite small, without any limbs. Their gills are just tiny storks	Leg buds Front leg buds start to develop, anywhere from the 2-6 week stage, depending on how readily available food is
Front legs developed Probably still only 2-3cms long at this point, gills start to branch out and look more pronounced	Quick growth Attributed to well fed babies with large round bellies. Back leg buds begin to come through now	Back legs start Around the 4cm mark
DSCN1316.JPG	Legs all grown Anywhere from 6cms onwards, maybe 8	8-10cms A good size to start selling them, as they are well past the delicate stage, and ready to try new food samples
10-12 cms Cutest at this point imo, they beg and eat like crazy. Great time to start handfeeding if not already. It can take six months to get to this size, but also less/more time depending on several factors like food availability and temperatures.	12-14cms Official juvie status, nice big babies! Absolutely ready for new homes at this size

Silly Axolotls

Photo Diaries

This section is to show a photo diary of something, usually a growth or progression. The main two are the development of axolotl eggs, and the second is the rejection of a mangled limb and the regrowing process.

Egg Development

Day One

First, they are small circular eggs covered in goo. An albino mother will lay white eggs.

Day One

Other axolotls will lay either entirely brown eggs, or eggs that are half white and half brown.

Day Three-Four

After about two days, they elongate slightly, looking like an opening flower bud.

Day Six

By about the sixth day, they start to curl around.

Day Eight

At about the eighth day, they elongate further, and develop separate parts for the head and body, and wee bumps begin to grow around the gills area.

Day Ten to Twelve

They develop individual gill fronds, and start to look just like axolotls, but they'll probably take another week to hatch.

Golden Albino Babies

Regrowing a Limb

No Legs

Poor Eugene got into an accident with a bigger axolotl and was left with half a leg, and just a stump on the other side. This is to document his recovery.

The fungus sets in

The arm went white and the fungus started to cover it, eating away at the dead flesh, revealing the tiny hand bones.

Continuing

The dead hand breaks away

And all that is left is the bone stump

No more bone

The bone has been fully rejected from the body, instead of the skin regrowing around it. Fascinating, isn't it?

Lil Hand

A tiny hand has grown on the stump of the arm. Instead of growing the forearm first, the hand has grown first.

Ghostly tiny-hand-like tendrils begin to form around the entire new limb

The new limb is coming through, looking more solid than before. The arm on the other side has completely grown back.

The Growth of an Axolotl

Fresh hatchling

Next to a bobby pin to show size comparison, it's hard to believe something so tiny grows to be more than 20cms long

First weeks

They stay quite small, without any limbs. Their gills are just tiny storks

Leg buds

Front leg buds start to develop, anywhere from the 2-6 week stage, depending on how readily available food is

Front legs developed

Probably still only 2-3cms long at this point, gills start to branch out and look more pronounced

Quick growth

Attributed to well fed babies with large round bellies. Back leg buds begin to come through now

Back legs start

Around the 4cm mark

DSCN1316.JPG

Legs all grown

Anywhere from 6cms onwards, maybe 8

8-10cms

A good size to start selling them, as they are well past the delicate stage, and ready to try new food samples

10-12 cms

Cutest at this point imo, they beg and eat like crazy. Great time to start handfeeding if not already. It can take six months to get to this size, but also less/more time depending on several factors like food availability and temperatures.

12-14cms

Official juvie status, nice big babies! Absolutely ready for new homes at this size