When I first got my axolotl, I gently picked it up and thought “wow, this thing feels squishy.”

My friend looked at me and asked, “Does it even have bones? It feels like jelly.”

That’s a question tons of people ask. Do axolotls have bones or are they just soft blobs floating around?

The answer: Yes, axolotls DO have bones. But young axolotls start with cartilage that slowly turns into bone as they grow up.

Let me explain exactly how their skeleton works and why it matters for keeping them healthy.

Yes, Axolotls Have A Full Skeleton

Axolotls are vertebrates animals with a backbone. They have a complete skeleton inside their body including:

• Skull bones
• Spine (vertebrae)
• Rib bones
• Leg bones (four legs with toes)
• Jaw bones with teeth
• Tail bones

Their skeleton structure is similar to other salamanders and even has similarities to human bone structure. They’re not boneless creatures.

But here’s the interesting part that confuses people.

Baby Axolotls Start With Cartilage, Not Bone

When axolotls are babies, their skeleton is made mostly of cartilage. Cartilage is the same flexible material in your nose and ears.

This cartilage skeleton is soft and bendy. That’s why young axolotls feel squishy when you touch them.

The Transition From Cartilage To Bone

As axolotls grow and mature, something cool happens. The cartilage slowly transforms into real bone through a process called ossification.

Here’s how it works by age:

Under 4 cm length (babies): Skeleton is 100% cartilage 6-10 cm length (juveniles): Bone starts forming in the middle of long bones 10+ cm length (reaching maturity): Cartilage gradually gets replaced by bone Adults (18 months+): Most of the skeleton is bone, but some cartilage remains

Even adult axolotls that are 5-8 years old keep some cartilage at the ends of their bones. They never fully ossify like mammals do.

This is totally normal. It’s just how amphibian skeletons work.

Why Young Axolotls Feel Soft

If you’ve ever held a baby axolotl, you know they feel super delicate and soft. There are two reasons:

1. Cartilage Is Flexible

Cartilage doesn’t feel hard like bone. It bends easily and has a rubbery texture.

When your axolotl is young and mostly cartilage, it feels soft to the touch.

2. Thin Delicate Skin

Axolotls have incredibly thin skin with no scales or protective coating. You can almost see through it on light-colored morphs.

This thin skin combined with a cartilage skeleton makes young axolotls feel fragile. And honestly, they ARE fragile.

That’s why you should avoid handling axolotls unless absolutely necessary. Their soft bodies can get injured easily.

What Axolotl Bones Look Like

I’ve seen X-rays and CT scans of axolotl skeletons. They’re fascinating.

The Skull

Axolotl skulls have multiple bone plates that form the head structure. They have eye sockets, jaw bones, and teeth attached to the bone.

Even adult axolotls maintain something called Meckel’s cartilage in their jaw – a cartilage rod that stays soft their whole life.

The Spine

The backbone (vertebral column) runs from head to tail. Each vertebra is a separate bone that protects the spinal cord.

Young axolotls have cartilaginous vertebrae. As they mature, these slowly ossify into proper bone.

Leg Bones

Axolotls have four legs with bones similar to human arm and leg structure:

• Upper bone (humerus/femur)
• Two lower bones (radius and ulna/tibia and fibula)
• Wrist/ankle bones
• Toe bones (four toes on front legs, five on back legs)

In juveniles, these leg bones are mostly cartilage. In adults, they develop a hard bone outer layer with a marrow cavity inside.

Ribs And Other Bones

They have small rib bones attached to their spine. These ribs are short and don’t wrap around the body like human ribs.

They also have gill support bones (though these are partly cartilage) and bones in their tail.

The Amazing Bone Regeneration Power

Here’s where axolotl bones get really wild.

Axolotls can completely regrow lost bones. If you cut off a leg, they’ll regenerate the entire limb including every single bone.

How Bone Regeneration Works

When an axolotl loses a limb:

Week 1-2: The wound heals and forms a growth cap called a blastema
Week 3-4: New cartilage starts forming in the blastema
Week 5-8: The cartilage shapes into the missing bones
Week 8-12: The new cartilage slowly ossifies into bone
Month 3-4: The regenerated bone integrates with the old bone

The new bone connects perfectly with the original skeleton. It’s like the injury never happened.

I’ve watched my axolotl regrow a leg after another one bit it off. The bone came back completely normal. Scientists study this constantly trying to figure out how they do it.

Why Cartilage To Bone Matters For Health

Understanding axolotl bone development helps you care for them better.

Young Axolotls Need Extra Care

Since baby axolotls have soft cartilage skeletons, they’re more prone to injury.

Avoid:

• Rough handling
• Sharp decorations in the tank
• Aggressive tank mates
• Dropping them

Their soft skeleton can get damaged easily. Handle with extreme care or don’t handle at all.

Adults Have Stronger Skeletons

Once your axolotl reaches 10+ cm and starts ossifying, the skeleton gets stronger and more rigid.

Adult axolotls with bone can handle slightly more stress than babies. But they’re still delicate compared to fish or reptiles.

Calcium Is Important

Bones need calcium to form properly. Axolotls get calcium from:

• Their food (worms, pellets)
• Water (dissolved minerals)
• Cuttlebone (if you provide one)

Make sure your axolotl eats a varied diet with good nutrition. This supports healthy bone development as they grow.

Common Bone Problems In Axolotls

Sometimes axolotl bones don’t develop correctly or get injured.

Metabolic Bone Disease

This happens when axolotls don’t get enough calcium or vitamin D. Their bones become weak and deformed.

Signs include:

• Curved spine
• Weak legs that can’t support body weight
• Difficulty swimming
• Soft jaw

Prevention: Feed high-quality food and maintain good water parameters.

Bone Fractures

Axolotls can break bones if they’re dropped or if something heavy falls on them.

Good news: They usually heal fractures on their own through regeneration. The broken bone repairs itself over several weeks.

Delayed Ossification

Some axolotls take longer than normal to develop bone. This can happen from:

• Poor nutrition
• Cold water (slows metabolism)
• Genetics

As long as they’re eating well and healthy otherwise, slow ossification isn’t usually a problem.

How To Support Healthy Bone Growth

Want your axolotl to develop strong bones? Here’s what to do:

Feed Quality Food

Give them:

• Earthworms (high in calcium)
• Bloodworms
• Axolotl pellets (fortified with vitamins)
• Occasional brine shrimp

Vary the diet. Don’t feed only one thing.

Maintain Proper Water Temperature

Keep water between 60-64°F. This temperature range supports normal metabolism and bone development.

Too cold = slow bone growth Too warm = stress and health problems

Keep Water Clean

Do weekly 20% water changes. Clean water prevents disease that can affect bone health.

Test water parameters regularly:

• Ammonia: 0
• Nitrite: 0
• Nitrate: under 20 ppm
• pH: 6.5-8.0

Provide A Safe Environment

Use soft substrate like fine sand or go bare bottom. Avoid gravel – axolotls eat it and it can cause impaction.

Remove any sharp decorations that could injure their soft bodies and developing bones.

Don’t Handle Unnecessarily

Every time you pick up your axolotl, you risk damaging their delicate skeleton, especially when young.

Only handle when absolutely needed for tank maintenance or health checks.

Do All Amphibians Have This Bone Development?

The cartilage-to-bone transition is common in amphibians, but axolotls do it differently.

Most Salamanders Fully Ossify

Regular salamanders that metamorphose into land animals develop full bony skeletons as adults.

Their bones become completely hard because they need to support their weight on land.

Axolotls Keep Some Cartilage Forever

Since axolotls never leave water, they don’t need fully rigid skeletons.

Water supports their body weight, so some flexibility is fine. That’s why they keep cartilage at bone ends even as old adults.

This is part of their neoteny – staying in a juvenile form forever.

The Bottom Line

Let me make this super clear:

Axolotls DO have bones. They’re not boneless.

But they start life with a cartilage skeleton that slowly ossifies into bone as they mature. Even adults keep some cartilage mixed with bone.

Their skeleton is:

• Soft and cartilaginous when young (under 10 cm)
• Gradually ossifying as they grow (10-20 cm)
• Mostly bone with some cartilage as adults (20+ cm)

This unique skeletal system is one reason axolotls can regenerate lost limbs so well. The combination of cartilage and bone gives them flexibility and the ability to rebuild damaged parts.

Understanding this helps you handle them properly and provide the right care for healthy bone development.

Still curious about axolotl anatomy? Drop your questions in the comments!

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Quick Answer Summary

Question: Do axolotls have bones?

Answer: Yes, axolotls have a complete skeleton with bones. Young axolotls start with mostly cartilage that slowly turns into bone as they grow. Adults have a mix of bone and cartilage. They can regenerate lost bones completely if injured.

Key Points: Handle gently, feed calcium-rich foods, maintain proper water conditions to support healthy bone development.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Are baby axolotls boneless? No, but their skeleton is mostly soft cartilage. Real bone develops as they grow, usually starting around 6-10 cm in length.

Can you feel axolotl bones? In adults, yes – you can feel the harder bone structure. In juveniles, they feel soft because they’re mostly cartilage.

Do axolotls have a backbone? Yes, axolotls have a vertebral column (spine) made of individual vertebrae that runs from head to tail.

Why do axolotls feel squishy? Young axolotls have cartilage skeletons plus thin delicate skin, making them feel soft. Adults feel firmer as bone develops.

Can axolotl bones heal if broken? Yes, axolotls can regenerate and repair broken bones through their amazing healing abilities.

What bones do axolotls keep as cartilage? Even adults maintain cartilage at the ends of long bones (epiphyses) and in parts of the jaw and skull.

Do axolotls need calcium supplements? Not if they eat a varied diet of worms and quality pellets. Their food provides enough calcium for healthy bones.

At what age do axolotl bones fully develop? Bone formation starts around 10 cm length and continues throughout life, but they never fully ossify like mammals do.