Tequila Guacamole Sanchez, is she a she or a he?

[pegasus]

I bought a new axolotl yesterday and am unsure of the sex, I think she female but?, also worried about the lack of gills? Help appreciated

Tequila Guacamole Sanchez

 

[Erzs]

Oh a golden, I'm growing so fond of those!

The lack of gills can be a number of things. It might just be the way she is or the conditions she was in before she came to you. Just keep her water good and on a healthy diet and once she's settled in they may grow, they may not.

Also I wouldn't keep gravel of that sort in a tank with an axolotl. They are known to chomp down anything and gravel can cause problems that can prove fatal. I'd remove it as soon as you can and then replace with sand (be sure to rinse it well if you do). Or you can leave it bare.

Do you know how old she is? As I can see no buldge it would suggest female, but females also tend to have a little round bellies. So it might just be a case of a young axolotl that will need to grow for a while longer before you will be able to determine the gender. =]

Don't worry about names in terms of gender. My little girl is called Alan.

Keep us updated on how she's doing and if you have any questions don't be afraid to ask. =]

 

[pegasus]

Thankyou Erzs

 

[bayhicoach]

Your axolotl is in terrible shape. It needs to be fed lots and soon! The previous owner apparently had no idea how to take care of this type of animal. The good news is that with proper care your pet can recover. The gills should return as she recovers.

 

[Ken Worthington]

I would be tempted to say that the axie looks skinny, but other than that, looks in reasonably good shape.
Okay, the gills aren't too prominent (yet?), but I can't see any signs of disease or particular stress (unless the tail is curled more than not).
A good diet of earthworm and maybe the odd waxworm as a treat should gently put a bit of 'chub' on him.
When viewed from above, a healthy guide-line is if the width of the head equals the width of the 'belly', more or less. Gaining weight slowly and steadily is healthier than reaching their ideal weight straight away, of course.
Now probably the biggest risk to your axies health is the gravel that you have as substrate. (This is a very easy mistake as pet-shops and certain web-sites don't alert people to the problem of gravel)
Follow Ersz's excellent advice and you won't go far wrong, and I agree with bayhicoach, it should be in full health before too long