I was asked not too long ago by a fellow veterinarian what they could tell 5-year-old kids about axolotls.
These were my main points:
- They need good clean water, but that doesn’t mean you need to scrub everything clean.
- Tell them the filter is alive with mini good bugs like in yoghurt and you need to keep them alive and healthy.
- They also come from the cooler parts of Mexico (hence their name, Mexican walking fish) and so it may be necessary to invest in a chiller unit for hot summer months.
- Tell them that the food they eat is different to what we might eat. Since they live in a watery environment, it makes sense that we feed them stuff that’s from the water rather than land (e.g. not beef, not too much chicken; but do feed worms, fish and prepared axolotl feed).
- Also, their name is a misnomer. They’re not fish with legs! They’re related to frogs! This last bit sounds so basic, but I can tell you so many of my house guests always describe them as fish with legs!
What else might you add?
