Brian Connolly and his axolotls
11/30/2022
When Brian Connolly was a young boy, his parents raised exotic animals, including a monkey, an ostrich and an emu. So it was only fitting he has axolotls as pets.
So, what is an axolotl? Ask any child who plays “Minecraft.” When “Minecraft” featured an axolotl in 2021, the real pet’s popularity skyrocketed.
An axolotl (pronounced similar to “Camelot”) is an amphibian in the salamander family. However, the gilled axolotl must remain underwater. Certain breeds “glow” when put under a black light. Axolotls can regrow a body part if injured. They’re 8 to 15 inches long, weigh up to a half a pound and can live 10-15 years. Their diet consists of meal worms or salmon.
Connolly became interested in the animal, as his wife worked at a store that sold plush axolotl Squishmallow toys, and she began collecting them. He questioned his wife, why not just get a real one?
When he first obtained axolotls from a breeder, he was unsure of the sex. It takes 18 months to sex them, so he put a few in the same tank together.
Before long, Jaelyn, his female axolotl (named after a Squishmallow) had a clutch of approximately 800 eggs in the tank, resembling mosquito larvae.
Once the eggs were laid, Brian studied their habitats and survival tips. Axolotls are originally from a lake in Mexico City. With high elevation and low water temperatures, the axolotls thrive. However, due to diminishing environments and habitats ruined by humans, the axolotls are dying out. “The lake is polluted. I want to help produce as many babies as I can. You never know how many eggs survive,” he says.
He’s sold several, kept some eggs and is now raising and selling axolotls. He keeps them in plastic containers and doesn’t control the tank temp with heaters. Instead, he keeps his home at a constant temperature as the water temp needs to be between 59 and 66 degrees. “My wife doesn’t like it that our place is so cold,” he says.
Out of 50 remaining eggs, he hatched 42; with eight “duds.” With different varieties of axolotls, the coloring varies. With this batch, she produced all melanoid including copper melanoids. A golden albino is a rare breed. Some with special genes cost from $700 to $1,200; a very rare axolotl can fetch $6,000.
He hopes to breed various types to produce desirable colors, such as a leucistic — an albino with black eyes.
“There’s a chance that, when you breed, mutations can create crazy patterns. It’s like winning the lottery,” he says.
The axolotls are slippery — not slimy — and he holds them gently when changing water. “If I walk up to the tank, they know I’m here. They develop personalities. They’re very docile. They’ll come up and check me out,” he says.
Yet axolotls do better alone, as opposed to sharing a tank with other fish.
“Fish might think that the axolotls are food or vice versa. They aren’t the smartest creature. Sometimes they’ll nip at each other,” he says. “One had his front foot nipped off, but it started to grow back.”
He’s got a separate “rehab” tank where he keeps injured axolotls that are regenerating or deformed. He’s happy to report that one of the axolotl’s gills grew back.
Connolly is passionate about ensuring the pets are properly cared for.
“They need a certain habitat, and cold water is key. They live a long time compared to other pets,” he says. “I want people to realize what’s involved in caring for an axolotl.”
He spends hours with his axolotls.
“It’s fascinating to grow from nothing into something,” he says. “There’s a satisfaction to help produce these magnificent creatures.” ♦
