In an effort to remember distinct characteristics of the axolotls, I have resorted to giving them the most stupid names. They are very descriptive though, so they serve their purpose well. Meet "One Leg, Lefty, 3Feet and Pink.
One Leg received the most damage of the group. With his single leg, he strikes me
as looking more like a fish. Axolotls normally use their legs to move around, which gives their movement a distinctive hovering walk. One Leg primarily uses his tail to move about the tank, making him more of a swimmer. This baby has a normal front leg on his right side. The back legs are nubs and his left front leg is half a stub with no sign of toes.
Lefty enjoys the use of his right side, but lost both legs on his left side. The photo (right) shows a close up of his rear leg. You can see that the toes are beginning to reappear.
3Feet is in fairly good condition, with healthy gills and only missing one foot. The missing leg is only partially nipped off but seems to have an odd bend to it and the toes don't appear to be growing yet. I'm waiting to see if this leg will straighten out. Maybe soon we will see some toes begin to appear.
Finally, Pink, has gills of such an interesting color, they capture my interest. This baby has at some point lost all four legs, and they are in varying stages of regrowth. The left front leg seems whole, but its light color is an indication it was lost and has regrown. The left rear foot has toes showing, but the length of the leg is still quite stunted.
Check back in a week because I will take new photos to document the progress of these 4 axolotls. They entire group seems to be doing well. They are growing fatter, longer and remain quite calm in their tank. The key is plenty of food and lots of cover. If you have multiple axolotls in you tank, hides such as rocks, plants and caves are absolutely necessary to keeping them safe and whole. You will also notice, as they grow older they will enjoy exploring the variety of textures in their environment.
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