Just a big boy, or a problem? Large cloaca.

[celticcrow77]

I've had to leave my axolotl Motley with my parents since I moved to PA since my roommates won't let me have him, and I just went to visit this past weekend, and BOY has he grown!! He's about 7 months old, 9 inches long, and not sexually mature yet, but I noticed just how large his cloaca is.

My question is, is he just a, ahem... big boy, or does this look to be abnormal? It just seems so big! It doesn't seem to be red, and he seems healthy in every other way. He has a bare-bottomed tank at the moment, to keep it easy for my parents, so he's not ingesting stuff he shouldn't be. It's just a real big cloaca! Any ideas?

 

[HappySkittles]

I'm betting he's sexually mature already

 

[celticcrow77]

Well, the tips of his toes are still very white, and I've heard that's how you can tell- when they darken is when they're mature. However, I've also heard that some don't change, so... yeah... He could just be jonesing for a girlfriend. XD Poor guy. All that testosterone, nowhere to go.

 

[helobed]

Well, the tips of his toes are still very white, and I've heard that's how you can tell- when they darken is when they're mature. However, I've also heard that some don't change, so... yeah... He could just be jonesing for a girlfriend. XD Poor guy. All that testosterone, nowhere to go.

Don't wild type's toes go white when they are sexually mature? - My breeding male has very distinct white toetips.
Albino an leucistic's toes normally darken from my experience.

So my bet would be yours is an early bloomer. Axolotl, if well looked after can reach sexual maturity anywhere between 6 - 12 months and your not-so-little fella might already be there

 

[Loobylou]

Wild-types do get white toes. I have a golden albino that is the same shape as this. He's only about 8 months or so and he's a big boy too. I wouldn't have thought it's anything to worry about. I also have some 7 inch juvies that are already very obviously male, they just all seem to develop at different rates.

 

[Kaysie]

Toe tips are not a definitive characteristic of sexual maturity, just a generality.

I'm guessing he's just... um... well-endowed.

Cloacal size will also change depending on what he's up to; if he's pooping or dropping spermatophores (no female presence needed!), expect it to be more swollen than normal.

 

[HappySkittles]

I wasn't looking at the toes
I was looking more at the size (9 inches)

But as far as the toes go supposedly...
white toes on dark animals
black toes on light animals

 

[Kaysie]

For sure, by 9 inches it's probably sexually mature. That's a big axolotl, and it's still growing!

 

[celticcrow77]

Well, thanks for all the feedback, guys! I couldn't remember the exact toe idea, so that cleared it up a bit. I'm glad it's not anything to worry about. After not seeing him for several months, and then visiting and seeing how big he got, it was a little startling. But I guess I just have a big boy! LOL