Axolotls are one of the highlights of Minecraft's 1.17 Caves and Cliffs update, which introduced the game to lush and dripstone caves for the first time. These cute aquatic mobs are obtainable in pink, brown, gold, cyan, and an ultrarare blue. Unlike explosive creepers and skeleton archers, these mobs can be found in nature, and some fans may have started a real-life axolotl hunt.
Pet Shelters in New Zealand Notice Axolotl Boom
The amphibian's popularity may be even greater than we originally assumed. According to a report from The Guardian, pet shelters in New Zealand recently received an unusually high number of axolotls. Based on the report, Internet hype trains about the smiling amphibian may have contributed to the sudden surge of axolotls ending up in animal rescue.
The creatures are popular on TikTok, whose hashtag has amassed 2.6 billion views, claiming the same report. The cheery-looking creature has also been the star of popular games like "Axie Infinity" and "Minecraft."
As said by Emma Neale, a Dunedin-based rescue shelter official, there are currently 2,000 axolotls in their care. This follows the arrival of nearly 600 adult axolotls at the facility last week. The official even stated that they are still accommodating owners who wish to surrender their slimy pets.
Neale doubted that the rise in axolotl populations could be attributed to Minecraft alone, blaming it instead on careless breeding.
The animal shelter official also told the press that many aspiring axolotl raisers were clearly inexperienced about the creatures they were caring for in their rooms and backyards. Some were reported to have mixed breeding pairs of axolotls in the same tanks. As a result of this oversight, axolotls laid thousands of eggs, much to the surprise of their unsuspecting owners.
Axolotl Breeding
In Minecraft, players must obtain a bucket of tropical fish to feed to an axolotl pair in order for them to produce a single baby axolotl. Some players even go underground caves in search of shallow water puddles where the cute amphibian spends its time. However, raising them in real life may be a little more complicated.
Axolotls are solitary creatures that reach sexual maturity at the age of one, and their natural spawning season is in February. Males engage in a courtship "hula" dance while shaking their tails and lower bodies, possibly using pheromones to attract females.
Fish Keeping World informs us that when an adult male and female axolotl court, the male places its sperm sacks on a smooth, flat surface. The fertilized eggs are then laid a few hours after the female has collected the spermatophore. The duration of the entire process could be between an hour and two.
Dwindling Numbers in the Wild
Despite increasing numbers of axolotls in captivity and spurring public interest, these cheerful-looking creatures named after an Aztec god of fire and lightning are critically endangered species.
According to National Geographic, a 2019 assessment by the International Union for the Conservation of Species discovered that only between 50 and a thousand axolotls remain in the wild, and their populations are declining.
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