Axolotl
Ambystoma mexicanum
Critically EndangeredFast Facts
About
The axolotl is a remarkable salamander famous for retaining its larval features throughout life, a condition known as neoteny. It keeps its feathery external gills and aquatic lifestyle rather than transforming into a land-dwelling adult as most salamanders do.
Wild axolotls survive only in the remnants of the ancient canal and lake system of Xochimilco, where they are now critically endangered, even as they flourish in captivity and laboratories worldwide.
Behaviour
Axolotls are solitary, slow-moving ambush feeders, sucking in prey with a swift snap of the jaws. They remain in the water their entire lives, breathing through gills, skin and simple lungs.
They possess an extraordinary ability to regenerate lost limbs, parts of organs and even portions of the brain, making them invaluable to scientific research.
Did you know?
- Axolotls can regrow entire limbs, tissues and even parts of the heart and brain
- They remain in their larval form for life, keeping their feathery gills
- They are critically endangered in the wild yet abundant in captivity
- The name derives from an Aztec god associated with water and lightning
Distribution
Native only to the lake system of Xochimilco near Mexico City
