The legality of owning certain pets is a provincial matter. There is no Federal law against owning axolotls in Canada.
Some provinces have made axolotl ownership restricted or outright banned.
Are axolotls legal in Alberta?
Yes, axolotls are legal to own as pets in Alberta.
They are not listed on the Alberta Controlled Animals List.
Entire Alberta Controlled Animals List
Axolotls (also called ”Mexican Walking Fish”) would be listed under part 4: Amphibians (Class Amphibia). They are in the Ambystomatidae Family (Mole Salamanders).
The axolotl is not listed, but other mole salamanders that are controlled are: Northwest, Blue-spotted, Spotted, Marbled, Smallmouth, and Giant Salamanders.
Some other controlled salamanders are lungless salamanders (plethodontidae family) such as: Eastern Red-backed, Northern Slimy, Western Red-backed, and Red Salamanders.
Not only are axolotls perfectly legal in Alberta, you can join this Facebook page called Axolotls of Alberta. This is a community of Axolotl owners in Alberta that share photos, and tips and tricks about caring for their axolotl.
Axolotls were originally brought to Canada for research purposes. Eventually they became pets in the public sphere.
You are safe to keep an axolotl as a pet in your home in Alberta, but you will need to do more research on other provinces if you plan to change locations.
Importing and exporting axolotls in and out of Canada is another area that gets more complicated. You would have to refer to the Canadian CITES Permit program here.
See our list of other exotic pets that you can own as a pet in Alberta called What Exotic Pets Can You Legally Own in Alberta?
In Summary
- You can own an axolotl as a pet legally in Alberta.
- Ownership legality of axolotls in Canada is a provincial matter. They are not controlled in Alberta, but they are controlled in some other provinces such as B.C.
- Importing and exporting is regulated through the Canadian CITES Permit program.
