Keeping Axolotls Hardcover – January 1, 2009

Nice resource for axolotl owners

This book is an excellent START to researching axolotls, however I would NEVER recommend it as a sole source of information. I own it (was a gift from someone who knows nothing about axolotls) and use is as a source of ideas rather than a reference book. Also, for those of you just looking at the cover and nothing more, please note (as a previous reviewer said) that axolotls CANNOT (should not) live on gravel; anything bigger than sand and that can fit in their mouths is a possible impaction hazard (gets lodged somewhere along the digestive tract and is - as far as I'm aware - the number 1 killer of pet axolotls). If you are just starting out I would much rather direct you to the axolotl.org site and its sister caudata.org forum; these two sites (if you sift through the forums in good detail) will give you pretty well everything you need to know about axolotls, they're customized (the forum - you can often get a response on there within 24hrs), and they're free ;). So, good book for absolute beginners, preferably ones who don't own an axie yet, but won't get you very far. It's no longer useful to me and is sitting pretty next to my tank :).

This book is extremely misleading to owners. Axolotls cannot be put on gravel, at least it is not in their best interest to be kept on gravel, and the title page of the book has an axolotl on gravel! Axolotls will eat the gravel and it will block their system up if you don't take proper care of the impaction. Also, the book calls them reptiles? What on earth?! How could you even mistake an axolotl for a reptile. Some of the information is good, but it's very misleading for novices.

How can this book be of any use, if it calls axolotls reptiles on the first page?! This is an absolute no-go mistake.And on the back cover it says, you should keep them on your window sill?! An aquarium at the window heats up when the sun shines and the axolotl needs cold temperatures! Also gravel, as shown on the cover, kills axolots!By only looking at the covers and the first page, this book can be excluded as a helpful source of information!

I brought this as a present for my brother who is at the very early stages of looking into the possibilities of keeping Axolotls. First impressions were good, you cannot help but love the Axolotl on the front cover.This book has given him a kick start into his research as it contains a lot information that is perfect for beginners like himself. It is full of practical and very useful advice. It as good a range of questions and answers. It is clearly laid out and it is easy to follow each section. Before I gave it to him I 'flipped' through it briefly and the photos are really nice and clear, perfectly showing off Axolotls naturally smiley faces!

Good to dip in and out to fund information. Gift for 11 year old grandson. To help care for Jeffrey.

I'd highly recommend this book to any owners, or anyone thinking of owning an axolotl (or maybe just a fan!)It has a lot of important information broken down into managable sections; it's clear, coherent and very informative earning my five star rating.Not only did I enjoy reading this, aided with some great photos, but also learnt a lot.

This book has some good information on axolotls. However there are some sections which are now out dated. For instance, the gravel substrate is not recommended in an axolotl tank as they may swallow it.

This is a really good book as an introduction to axolotls, but you need to buy it BEFORE you start spending out on a tank and kit! Pity the detail on how to tell girls and boys apart isn't more detailed (maybe with diagrams) and I would have appreciated a little more on different types of food (what would be suitable, what definately isn't etc).