Axolotls are one of the most loved pets and therefore their biting you is also common, So How exactly an Axolotl bite? Does it hurt, which axolotls usually bites, and what to do when you are bitten? Well, you will have your answers in this article!
Do Axolotls Have Teeth?+Are They Known For Biting?
Do all Axolotls bite? Yes, there are some axolotl species that will bite you when they feel threatened or mistake your hand for food. They sometimes cling on your finger while feeding, Others most likely won’t bite but will try to wiggle away or simply hide.
Why do axolotls bite? Do all axolotl species bite?
Normally there are 2 reasons why an axolotl may bite you. They can either feel threatened by you and therefore use a bite as a defense mechanism, or, they can bite you when you try to feed with your hand and axolotl mistakenly bites your finger instead of the food you’re trying to give. usually, all axolotls species can nibble on your fingers while feeding it is more like a tingling sensation
Let’s explore these 2 reasons a bit further:
The Defense Mechanism
Axolotl might feels threatened by you and therefore bite you to defend himself. However, this almost never happens with axolotls.
They have small and sharp teeth that can hurt you but not much.
The best thing you can do is let the axolotl get used to you and let it be near you so that it isn’t afraid of you anymore.
Mistake your Finger or hand for food
The second reason for getting bitten by a Axolotl is food.
If you try to hand feed your axolotl, he can mistake your hand for the food and bite you instead of the food.
Don’t shake your hands hard so that the axolotl falls off and maybe hurts itself. Keep calm and he will eventually let go.
Does it hurt when an axolotl bites?
Axolotl bites don’t hurt at all. Even the biggest ones are fed by hand and will readily bite any finger within a short distance.
Do Axolotl bite people? Do axolotls bite their owners?
Yes. They’ll bite other axolotls that annoy them or wander into their territory, and they’ll nip at their owner’s fingers while feeding, Even though, axolotls recognize their owners and usually react to human hand signals but never hesitate to bite their handlers.
Why does my Axolotl keep biting me?
They just think that you are food, And when they bite, it is more like a tickle than pain. you can play around them like that by letting axolotls bite your finger. just make sure your hands are clean and don’t transmit any pathogens in their mouth.
Do Axolotls have sharp teeth?
The simple answer is No, Axolotl teeth are not that sharp, like frogs and salamanders and you may not even be able to see their teeth as they’re small and don’t have any Bulging or protruding edges.
Axolotls have a cartilaginous skeleton that doesn’t calcify completely even when they reach the adult stage.
They have muscles like fish and fine teeth on their upper and lower jaws like frogs and toads,
But they are only capable in grabbing and puncturing their food. Their bite intensity is not high enough to rupture human skin.
What to do when Axolotl bites you?
The most important thing you have to remember is to maintain your cool and calm.
Try not to shake your hand; I know it’s a normal reflex action to get your hand away, but try to stay cool!
When you try to get your finger back with heavily shaking your hand, you can hurt the axolotl.
Instead, keep your hand still and see if you can calm the axolotl by stroking it or just wait on it for a bit.
Normally the axolotl will let go quite quickly, or once they realize its not their regular food they are nibbling on.
Are Axolotls aggressive?
Axolotls are territorial amphibians hence, should not be kept in aquariums with other species.
They are aggressive and treat other aquarium tank mates, including smaller axolotls as potential food.
Moreover, Axolotls are fragile and large fishes have chances to bite and damage their gills, thus prevent them from breathing.
Is it Safe to touch Axolotl?
Yes, Is it safe to Tough axolotls they are neither poisonous not they have toxic secretion’s on their bodies.
Axolotls are not hardy amphibians like frog, toads and salamanders; They have delicate, soft tissues with permeable skin.
In fact, most of their body is made of cartilage (skeletal calcifications) rather than regular bones.
So, Rough handling may rupture they body organs so, we should prevent handling them unless it’s an emergency.
Are Axolotl dangerous to humans?
Axolotls are not a potential threat for humans; Their bite can’t hurt us in any significant way.
On the Contrary, When they are forced to share a common tank with other or similar species,
They often gets violent and territorial towards each another. and may bite the body parts of their opponent in a contest!
How do I stop my axolotl from biting each other?
If you have many axololts in a common tank always feed them well so as to to prevent nipping.
Moreover, maintain a safe distance among them during feeding time to avoid any unnecessary competition.
Since, Axolotls don’t have a social hierarchy, it may be problematic to keep opposite-sex together.
Apparently, Some Axolotl bites can hurt.
We did an experiment with 3 axolotls in one tank. Golden Albino, Melanoid and Leucistic Axolotl. I tested with a worm in my hand, and Melanoid axolotl grabs on my thumb. It didn’t hurt like I’m dying or bleeding like hell but left a sandpaper tooth in the tip of my thumb and it was an unpleasant experience!
For Further Reading
I hope you have learnt quiet a lot about axolotl bites and cleared any misconceptions that their bites hurt.
I You really loved reading this article why not know if Salamanders bite? Does it hurt? are they poisonous?
Do, You own a pet frog? interested to know which frog or toad bites hurt the most?
here we have a short article about Frogs and Toad Bites; do frog bites hurt? Do toads have teeth?
Hi, I’m Mike, and I’m the creator of amphibianlife.com. If there was one word to describe it? It would be: passionate about Amphibians! Whether you want to know more about amphibians or have a presentation to give at school, you’ve come to the right place.
