Are Axolotls Born With Legs? Development Stages Explained

Abdul Wasay Khatri | Administrator

Last updated: 9 January, 2026

If you’ve ever watched axolotl eggs hatch, you might wonder when those adorable little legs appear. The development process is fascinating and surprisingly quick. Understanding when and how axolotls grow their legs helps breeders, pet owners, and biology students appreciate these remarkable creatures even more.

The Quick Answer

No, axolotls are not born with legs. Baby axolotls (called larvae) hatch from eggs without any legs at all. They look like tiny fish with external gills and a tail. The front legs start appearing around 2-3 weeks after hatching, followed by back legs at 3-4 weeks. By the time they’re about a month old, most axolotls have all four legs fully developed.

What Newborn Axolotls Look Like

Day 1: Just Hatched

Fresh hatchlings emerge from their eggs looking nothing like adult axolotls. They’re tiny only about half an inch long and completely legless.

Key features at birth:

• Transparent or semi-transparent body
• Large head with developing eyes
• Feathery external gills already present
• Long tail for swimming
• Yolk sac attached to belly (for nutrition)
• No legs whatsoever

These newborns spend their first days attached to plants or tank surfaces, absorbing nutrients from their yolk sac. They don’t eat solid food yet and barely move except for occasional wiggles.

Week 1: Still Legless

During the first week, baby axolotls remain legless. They start swimming more actively once the yolk sac is absorbed, hunting for microscopic food like infusoria or newly hatched brine shrimp.

Their bodies begin darkening as pigment develops. The gills grow more pronounced and start functioning fully. But still no sign of legs they swim using just their tails and body movements.

Leg Development Timeline

Front Legs Appear First (Week 2-3)

Around 2-3 weeks after hatching, you’ll notice tiny bumps appearing just behind the gills on both sides of the body. These are limb buds the beginning of front legs.

Over the next few days, these bumps grow rapidly into recognizable legs with tiny toes. The development happens fast you can literally watch the legs extend and define themselves over 3-4 days.

Front leg development stages:

• Day 14-16: Small bumps appear
• Day 17-18: Bumps elongate into paddle shapes
• Day 19-20: Individual toes become visible
• Day 21: Fully formed front legs with 4 toes each

At this stage, baby axolotls start using their new front legs to grip surfaces and stabilize themselves while swimming. They’re still awkward movers, but the legs clearly help with control.

Back Legs Follow (Week 3-4)

About a week after front legs emerge, back leg buds appear near the base of the tail. These develop following the same pattern as the front legs but typically take a bit longer to fully form.

Back leg development stages:

• Day 21-23: Small bumps appear near tail
• Day 24-26: Bumps elongate into leg shapes
• Day 27-28: Toes begin to separate
• Day 30+: Fully formed back legs with 5 toes each

Once all four legs are present, young axolotls start walking along the tank bottom instead of just swimming. This is a major milestone in their development.

Why This Development Pattern?

Front Legs Before Back Legs

The front-to-back leg development pattern is common in many amphibians. Scientists believe this sequence evolved because:

Front legs provide immediate benefits. Even without back legs, front legs help stabilize the body and manipulate food. This gives young axolotls a survival advantage.

Development happens in waves. The genetic signals that trigger limb formation activate in a specific order, with front limbs receiving the signal first.

Resource allocation matters. Growing legs requires significant energy. Spacing out limb development prevents overtaxing the young axolotl’s system.

Neoteny and Leg Development

Axolotls are famous for neoteny remaining in larval form their entire lives. However, this doesn’t affect leg development timing. They grow legs on the same schedule as other salamanders that eventually metamorphose into terrestrial adults.

The difference is that axolotls keep their larval features (gills, aquatic lifestyle, tadpole-like body shape) even after growing legs. Most salamanders lose their gills and develop lungs when legs appear. Axolotls keep both.

Growth Rate Variations

Factors Affecting Leg Development

Not all axolotls develop legs at exactly the same rate. Several factors influence timing:

Temperature plays a huge role. Warmer water (within safe limits) speeds up metabolism and development. Axolotls in 68°F water develop legs faster than those in 60°F water.

Food availability directly impacts growth rate. Well-fed larvae with constant access to live food develop legs earlier than underfed siblings.

Genetics cause variation between individuals. Some bloodlines naturally grow faster than others.

Water quality affects development. Poor conditions stress larvae and slow growth. Clean water with proper parameters supports faster, healthier development.

Individual variation means even siblings in identical conditions develop at slightly different rates. This is completely normal.

Typical Range

While 2-4 weeks is average for leg appearance, the actual range spans wider:

• Fast developers: Legs appear as early as 10-12 days (rare)
• Average developers: Legs appear at 14-21 days
• Slow developers: Legs appear at 28-35 days (still normal)

As long as the axolotl appears healthy, active, and eating well, development speed isn’t cause for concern.

Comparing to Other Amphibians

Frogs and Toads

Frogs and toads follow a completely different pattern. Tadpoles develop back legs first, then front legs. They also lose their tails during metamorphosis—something axolotls never do.

Frog development: Hatch → Back legs appear → Front legs appear → Tail absorbs → Adult frog

Axolotl development: Hatch → Front legs appear → Back legs appear → Keep tail and gills forever

Salamanders That Metamorphose

Tiger salamanders (close relatives of axolotls) develop legs on a similar timeline but then undergo metamorphosis, losing gills and developing lungs. They leave the water and become terrestrial.

Axolotls can be induced to metamorphose with hormones, but this is stressful, dangerous, and shortens their lifespan. Natural axolotls remain aquatic with legs and gills their whole lives.

Watching Leg Development at Home

Best Practices for Breeders

If you’re breeding axolotls and want to observe leg development:

Keep babies separated by size. Larger siblings sometimes bite off the developing legs of smaller ones. While legs regenerate, it delays development and stresses the baby.

Maintain excellent water quality. Daily or twice-daily water changes for baby axolotls ensure clean conditions that support healthy growth.

Feed appropriately sized food. Start with tiny live foods like daphnia or baby brine shrimp, graduating to larger foods as the axolotls grow.

Avoid handling during development. Baby axolotls are extremely fragile. Legs are especially vulnerable during the bud stage.

Document with photos. Taking daily photos lets you track development without disturbing the larvae. It’s amazing to see the transformation when you compare images.

What to Expect

The rapid leg development is one of the most exciting parts of raising axolotls. One day you have a legless larva, and within a week you’re watching a four-legged mini axolotl walking around the tank bottom.

This transformation happens so fast that if you check in the morning and again in the evening, you’ll notice visible growth in the leg buds. It’s real-time development you can observe without special equipment.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do axolotl eggs have legs inside them?
No, the embryo inside the egg develops the basic body plan but no legs. Legs only begin forming after hatching.

Can you speed up leg development?
Warmer water temperatures (within safe limits) and excellent nutrition can speed development slightly, but forcing faster growth isn’t recommended.

What if my baby axolotl’s legs look different sizes?
Slight asymmetry during development is normal. Legs often grow at slightly different rates but usually even out within a few days.

Do albino and leucistic axolotls develop legs at different rates?
No, color morph doesn’t affect leg development timing. All colors follow the same basic timeline.

Can baby axolotls survive without developing legs?
Legs are part of normal development. An axolotl that doesn’t develop legs likely has a serious genetic or developmental problem and may not survive.

Will injured leg buds grow back?
Yes, even at the larval stage, axolotls can regenerate damaged limb buds. The leg will still develop, just slightly delayed.

How long until the legs are fully functional?
Within 2-3 days of appearing as recognizable legs, they’re functional enough to grip and walk. Full strength develops over the following week.

Do wild axolotls develop legs faster than pet ones?
Wild axolotls (the few remaining) likely develop at similar rates, though environmental conditions in their habitat affect exact timing.

Abdul Wasay Khatri
Administrator
Abdul Wasay is the founder and lead author of Axolotl Portal, a trusted site for axolotl care. He spent almost nine months learning about axolotls, including their tanks, feeding, water care, and common health problems. His knowledge comes from trusted vets, research, and real experience from long term axolotl owners. All Posts by