In the wild, axolotls seek out sustenance along the muddy bottoms of lakes and rivers, using their primitive teeth to grasp rather than bite their prey.
Most pet stores carry earthworms, redworms and bloodworms which are high in protein while low in fat content - both characteristics that make them very cost effective and easy to find. They're also easily accessible.
How do they eat?
Axolotls are carnivorous predators that feed on an assortment of insects, snails and other molluscs, fish, worms, and other small organisms found in nature. Mealworms do not tend to be the most nutritious option available to these amphibians but may make an effective temporary replacement when other foods become scarce.
When feeding an Axolotl mealworms, be sure to select those which have recently molted and are soft. Overfeeding could result in impaction and choking issues; be mindful about choosing those covered in hard exoskeletons!
Idealy, your axolotl should only receive a "biteful" of mealworms every day. Unfortunately, this can be challenging since mealworms have a tendency to move around while being fed. Wash the worms before giving them to your pet to ensure that they are disease and parasite free.
Your local aquarium or bait shop or home-cultivation may offer fresh mealworms for sale, and home-cultivation could save money as well. However, black or white worms make an easier mealworm experience without polluting your tank with chemicals, while also not possessing their distinct unpleasant odor or taste of red wigglers.
Do they suck them in?
The Axolotl is a carnivorous predator, typically feeding on insect larvae, worms, snails and other mollusks; tadpoles; fish; amphibians such as Tadpoles. At different stages in its life cycle it eats various aquatic plants as well. Not selective eaters either; it will devour anything it can fit into its mouth!
To catch its prey, the Axolotl uses its long snout to scan muddy bottoms of lakes and rivers for food sources, then uses strong vacuum force to sucke it in. When done so, some gravel from its surroundings is also breathed in as part of this process, helping break up its meals more easily for digestion. Care must be taken not to overfeed their Axolotl as overfeeding could cause gastrointestinal blockage as well as wrecking your aquarium environment.
If you choose to feed an Axolotl mealworms, it is advisable to crush their jaws prior to offering them as this will protect their delicate body while making digestion simpler for him or her. In addition, any uneaten food should be removed immediately since any leftovers could rot in its habitat and lead to disease outbreak.
Do they choke on them?
As their names imply, axolotls possess large cup-like mouths. When they open them, water rushes in rapidly, sucking up food or any nearby objects like gravel. Once this process starts, food may then be sucked up through its lips by sucking or by being swallowed whole; otherwise choking could occur. Because axolotls don't chew their food like most mammals do (they suckle and swallow whole), digestion takes much longer.
Mealworms also feature a rigid exoskeleton, making them difficult for axolotls to bite and chew on. Therefore, crushing or peeling away their outer skin before feeding the food directly will facilitate easier eating and digestion by the animal.
When feeding an Axolotl mealworms, make sure they are fresh, live, unfrozen and unfrozen worms as frozen ones may contain parasites and diseases which could wreak havoc with its health. Freshly-molted mealworms with soft bodies make feeding easier on them too!
One scientific study found that juvenile axolotls grew faster on an unchanging diet of bloodworms, while daphnia (an aquatic crustacean) produced slowest results. Mixed diets produced intermediate results.
Do they spit them out?
Axolotls are extremely efficient predators in their aquatic environment, regularly devouring worms, mollusks, crustaceans, insect larvae and even fish! They use primitive "teeth" that act more like stumps to grab onto prey before swallowing whole. In addition, their special gland releases gills for underwater breathing but often pop up to the surface for quick gulps of air!
Mealworms are an increasingly popular food among reptiles, amphibians and fish alike; however they're also an essential staple of many captive axolotl diets. Not only is this inexpensive treat easily found at pet stores or online; but their nutrients appear to provide exactly what is necessary for these creatures' overall wellbeing.
However, mealworms aren't the best food option for your axolotl as their hard exoskeleton contains chitin that cannot be digested by them and could potentially lead to impaction - potentially fatal in an axolotl's case.
Black or daphnia worms make an excellent alternative to mealworms for feeding to an axolotl. While similar in size to nightcrawlers, they're much less messy as they won't leave behind remnants in your tank water that could potentially pollute it further. Any live worms must first be thoroughly washed prior to offering them as food so as not to carry any parasites with them.