Land or water?

[kandine]

Okay, I was on here several weeks ago and obtained and read information from many of you and this site. I am confused again. My Axolotol? (I am still not sure what he is exactly was sold to me as baby dinosaur. When I asked the guy at the mall on a second trip he said he was an Axolotol. However he told me many false things when I purchased him.) Anyway, he is dark in color and had the wavy gills around the head and a thick tail. Now his wavy gills are gone and his tail has thinned out. He seems to get out of the water more on a floating rock we have provided for him.


Question 1: Does he need to be on land all the time?

Question 2: If so do I provide water still?

Question 3: Soil to live in?

Any help will be appreciated!

 

[ReiDragon]

Sounds like he morphed. Do you have anyway you can take a picture of him/her?

 

[Nathan050793]

Question 1: Does he need to be on land all the time?

Question 2: If so do I provide water still?

Question 3: Soil to live in?

Any help will be appreciated!

If it was sold to you as a "baby dinosaur" than it is most certainly not an axolotl. It is most likely a large larvae of a Tiger salamander, which now has begun morphing.

Here are your answers-

1. Get rid of the water as soon as he completely looses his gills. As an adult he will be fully terrestrial and he could drown if kept in an aquatic set-up for long.

2. You can still provide water in the form of a shallow water dish.

3. Soil is best. The most commonly used substrate is a mixture of cocofiber and organic topsoil (pesticide, chemical, fertilizer free, etc.)

Take a look at this link, it should answer many of your other questions- http://www.caudata.org/cc/species/Ambystoma/A_tigrinum.shtml