Are Axolotls Aggressive?

Axolotls might appear as harmless animals, so not many people would think these animals are aggressive beings.

Normally, axolotls are not aggressive animals. They don’t appear to be territorial that much, and they also won’t have an aggressive behavior when you approach them.

However, axolotls can become aggressive in the event that they are feeding, and when they are eating. If there is a shortage of food or if they think there’s something out there that can bother them or threaten them as they are eating, they can also become aggressive.

Even though they don’t like to be touched, they still won’t be too aggressive towards human beings. In the very rare occasions, they might even bite you, especially when you feed them. But those bites don’t tend to hurt a lot, especially when the axolotls are still young and smaller.

Despite the fact axolotls are not aggressive, you still need to know when they can turn aggressive, and what to do when they do so. This is what you’ll learn in this article, so let’s get started.

Are Axolotls Aggressive to Humans?

No, axolotls are normally not aggressive towards humans. In the very few and rare exceptions, they will not appear to bite you, and they will also not attack you willingly if you put your hand inside the tank.

Axolotls don’t like to be touched, though. So you might notice them become a bit moody or uncomfortable when you touch them, because they do not like it. They can also become stressful when you touch them, so that’s not necessarily good for their health.

Usually, they also won’t bite you too much, unless you interfere with them when they are feeding or when they try to snatch food if you hand-feed them. So they are not primarily aggressive towards humans, but they are also quite rarely aggressive towards other beings, too.

Can Axolotls Bite You?

Yes, axolotls can bite you, but that doesn’t normally happen and it usually happens when you try to feed them or if you feed them the wrong way.

For example, they might bite you if you hand-feed them, and if they mistake your finger for food. That’s when you might want to be careful when you feed them, so you should make sure you feed them safely and without sticking your finger inside the tank too deeply.

Many axolotl owners have reported that their axolotls have bitten them before. However, those bites are most of the time, painless and not very aggravating. So even if they do bite you, you might not even notice or the pain will be very minimal.

You might be surprised your axolotl has quite sharp teeth though, even though it might not look this way. You will only notice it when they try to eat or when they bite you.

Can Axolotls Eat Fish?

Definitely, axolotls will love to eat fish, especially smaller types of fish that they can easily digest and consume.

So if you’re looking for a good source of live food or meaty foods, then fish might be a good source of food for your axolotls. However, it’s hard for them to catch the fish because they move around so slowly, and the fish are naturally quick so they might not be able to catch them!

Many axolotl owners tend to feed axolotls smaller fish, so they look for places they can buy feeder fish for their axolotls. The problem here is if you buy from a seller that doesn’t vet his fish. It can become a problem because the fish you feed to the axolotls might carry some unwanted bacteria, so they might get sick.

But if you take proper care and choose the right fish and buy from reputable sellers, then there should be no problems at all. In fact, your axolotls will probably love the fish you feed to them.

Can Axolotls Eat Each Other?

No, this is not very likely.

You can easily keep two or more axolotls in the same tank without worrying too much about their wellbeing. However, if you do decide to keep them in the same tank, you should try and make sure they are of the same or at least similar size.

Because larger axolotls might feed on smaller ones and eat them, but again, that’s incredibly rare. Normally, there should be no problems at all if you decide to keep more axolotls in the same tank. Just make sure the smaller ones actually have some protection and the larger ones are not aggressive to them.

Are Baby Axolotls Aggressive?

It is much different with baby axolotls than it is with adult ones. Baby axolotls can actually get quite aggressive towards other baby axolotls if they feel like they are threatened or if they feel like they are stronger than the other small axolotl.

The problem occurs if they are living in a very tight area together and if they feel like they are enemies towards each other. As they grow up, they become less aggressive and ultimately, will learn how to survive with each other.

But when they are small, they can get very competitive against each other. In some cases, they might even start to fight.

If that happens, the baby axolotls might become very aggressive towards each other, which can potentially result in injuries. Some axolotls might get injured so badly that their limbs get removed or they might even kill each other.

So you should definitely not let that happen. If it looks like the axolotls will start to fight, then separate them and put them somewhere they can’t fight.

Conclusion

Normally, axolotls are not aggressive animals. They will also not bite you and will not normally turn aggressive against you, unless you are hand-feeding them. In that case, they might snap at your finger unwantedly. Baby axolotls, on the other hand, can start to fight if they are kept too close. Make sure they are not too close.