Female axolotl lay up to 1,000 eggs every 3-6 months in freshwater plants, like many other amphibians.
Like many other amphibians, the axolotl lays its eggs in freshwater. Females deposit 100-300 eggs in the water and attach them to substrates. Structures, such as plants, are needed to lay the eggs. Up to 1,000 eggs can be laid every 3-6 months.
Axolotl eggs are surrounded by a protective jelly coat and are laid singly because they possess higher oxygen requirements, unlike frog eggs, which are laid in clumped masses. Axolotl eggs are often attached to substrates such as rocks or floating vegetation.
After 10-14 days the eggs hatch into larvae that are immediately independent. They obtain oxygen from the water using gills, develop four legs, and feed on small plants and animals. Sexual maturity is reached in the next breeding season and they live to about 10-15 years in total.
Sources: (Brunst, January 1955; Eisthen, 1989; Griffiths, Bride, et al., 2004; Majchrzak, 2004; Zambrano, et al., 2010)
Image: © Henk Wallays, All Rights Reserved
