The eternally young and unusual axolotls fascinate us with their curious looks and their unique nature. Axolotls are cute and friendly companions which will stay with you for a long time if you take proper care of them. This Mexican salamander is a very unusual representative of aquatic creatures that deserves more attention amongst the general public.
As cute and fragile as they are, axolotls are animals that need skills and means to survive in nature and overcome natural enemies. Also, they don’t really have solid bones but their skeleton is constructed of cartilage. Since they don’t have bones people wonder, if axolotls have teeth and if they bite.
Yes, axolotls do bite. They bite other axolotls that annoy them or overstep the boundaries of their territory. When it comes to humans, they may try to nip their owner’s finger during feeding times. However, these bites are very tiny and rarely break the skin.
Let’s look at the topic in more detail. It would be useful to know this detail about axolotls, especially if you are planning to adopt one as a pet.
Do Axolotls Bite?
Yes, they do bite. Most often they will bite other axolotls in the wild that annoy them or overstep the boundaries of their territories. If you place two axolotls in an aquarium, they may try to attack each other. Axolotls are not very sociable creatures and do not need a companion.
When it comes to humans, your pet may try to nip your fingers during feeding times. However, such a bite is not strong as axolotls’ teeth are much more delicate compared to most animals’ teeth and the bite rarely breaks the skin.
Do Axolotls Have Teeth?
Yes, axolotls do have teeth. They have a cartilaginous skeleton that never becomes completely calcified. Their muscles are similar to those of fish. They have fine teeth on their upper and lower jaws. Axolotls use their teeth to grab their food and puncture it.
In case your axolotl nips your finger, don’t try to pull the animal out. Axolotls are so fragile that such a pull may damage their teeth. Let it let go naturally.
Axolotls’ bites do not hurt and will not harm your skin. Some people feed even their biggest ones by hand and they do try to nip a finger if there is one at a close distance. Axolotls’ teeth are very soft and rubbery and are designed for gripping and not for cutting or chewing.
People who have axolotls as pets have reported numerous times that an axolotl bite does not hurt at all, but they usually get scared and ‘jump’ because they didn’t expect it. The Mexican salamander bites your fingers because it thinks fingers are food!
Axolotls teeth are not sharp and you may never be able to see them because they are very small and don’t have any sharp edges. That is why instead of biting or chewing their food they only ‘suck’ it in by opening their mouth.
Their teeth are good enough only for gripping. Make sure you feed your axolotl with small pieces of food as it will not be able to chew it, otherwise.
How Can You Avoid Finger Nipping?
You can avoid accidental finger-nipping by observing your axolotl’s behavior during feeding times:
- Don’t keep your hand too close to the axolotl when giving food.
- Try to place the food as far away from your pet as possible to give yourself enough time to remove your hand before it reaches the food.
- Place the food in the aquarium with the help of an alternative tool (for example, long tweezers) and not by your hand. Make sure the tweezers don’t have any sharp edges that can hurt your axolotl and of course, make sure it is 100% disinfected. Avoid touching the tweezers with your hands directly before feeding.
- A turkey baster is another useful tool.
- In case of nipping don’t pull the axolotl off, but let it let go naturally as this can damage its teeth.
- Observe your pet’s behavior and try to find out when it is most likely to jump and bite.
- Your axolotl may try to bite your hand also when you clean the tank.
- Don’t worry, the bite doesn’t hurt and cannot harm you.
- After a bite, make sure you clean the place properly and give it some time to heal (a bite may be harmless but still, it is a bite).
- A bite feels pretty much like a Velcro or sandpaper rubbing. The feeling is not pleasant but it is not painful either.
Is It the Axolotl’s Natural Behavior To Bite?
In order to understand better why and how axolotls bite, we need to take a closer look at their natural behavior!
Axolotls are not aggressive by nature. In fact, they can be quite boring little creatures stuck forever in young childhood (this type of salamander never exists in its larval state). They don’t swim or float, except for very rare cases when they reach the surface to breathe in air. Most of the time they hide in caves and in between plants and stones. The Mexican walking fish is not a very sociable aquatic inhabitant and does not need the companionship of other axolotls or fish.
Actually, if you pair an axolotl with another axolotl or with another fish, your pet may get aggressive and try to eat the fish or bite the other axolotl. Sometimes even cannibalistic behavior is observed when one tries to eat the other. However, this is not because axolotls are aggressive per se, but because they are not that sociable and don’t enjoy other creatures disrupting their territory.
That is why at home your axolotl may try to bite your hand or finger when you give it food or clean the tank. First, it thinks your fingers are food (what animal does not like to eat!) and second it is possible it sees your hand as an intruder in its territory and tries to attack by instinct. Consider using tweezers at feeding times.
Are Axolotl Bites Dangerous?
A bite by an axolotl is not painful. Your skin will not tear and there will not be any blood. The most that will happen is a small red mark. Clean the place properly, let it heal, and avoid other bites until then.
Axolotls are very friendly, quiet, and easy-going companions and you do not have anything to worry about.
Conclusion
Finally, let’s summarize, if axolotls bite and what to expect from a bite!
- Yes, axolotls do bite. They bite other axolotls that annoy them or overstep the boundaries of their territory. When it comes to humans, they may try to nip their owner’s finger during feeding times.
- When it comes to humans, your pet can try to nip your fingers during feeding times or when you clean the tank.
- A bite by an axolotl is not strong, deep, or painful. They don’t have sharp teeth with edges and they cannot tear your skin. The most you will get is a small red mark.
- Clean the bite properly and let it heal. Avoid other bites until then.
- Axolotls do have teeth. They have a cartilaginous skeleton that never becomes completely calcified. Their muscles are similar to those of fish. They have fine teeth on their upper and lower jaws. Axolotls use their teeth to grab their food and puncture it.
- To avoid biting, place the food in the aquarium with the help of an alternative tool (for example, long tweezers) and not by your hand. Make sure the tweezers don’t have any sharp edges that can hurt your axolotl and of course, make sure it is 100% disinfected. Avoid touching the tweezers with your hands directly before feeding.
- A turkey baster is another useful tool.
- In case of nipping don’t pull the axolotl off, but let it let go naturally as this can damage its teeth.
