Axolotls are a species of salamander found only in Mexico City.More specifically, two lakes in Mexico City. Lake Xochimilco and Lake Chalco, which unfortunately no longer exists. No, they are not fish with legs (even though that would be very cool). The name axolotl surprising isn't Spanish, it is in fact Aztec. The Aztecs believed that axolotls were guardians of the underworld. They obviously didn't take a good look at those smiles. How could something so cute be a guardian of the underworld? Axolotl directly translates as "Water Dog".
This amazing salamander never leaves water, unlike its other amphibious cousins that grow lungs and spend their lives on land. No, these mexicanums have adapted by never fully maturing into their terrestrial forms. They are one of the few species of salamanders that never fully mature. But how did they survive with out reproducing? Neoteny. The fancy term for never "growing up" all the way. For these salamanders, teenage-hood is as far as they'll go.
Unfortunately for these puberty-doomed amphibians, the introduction of carp and catfish into their only wild habitat (Xochimilco) has left their wild existence hanging by a thread. With added pollution from humans, axolotls have been pushed to the brink of extinction. In 2008 a group of collage students surveying their population only found 1 in a 100 kilometer radius. :(
Lucky for the water dog they have an ability that scientists have been studying for years. They are able to grow back nearly every part of their limb. not only can they grow back their own, the can also regain function from a transplanted limb! This ability to regrow body parts and vital organs is what saved their species from total extinction. Scientists took some and quickly got to work studying their secrets. Eventually, some were leaked into pet stores. since they are surprisingly easy to breed (for a salamander) their numbers exploded and lucky caudata enthusiasts got to take some home for themselves! Beneath those brain dead smiles lies the secret to stem cells, and a funky pet.
In the wild, Only Wild colored (they look like a pickle) and Blue (black) are found in the wild for their camouflage. But in captivity, there are 5: Wild, Blue, Albino, Golden Ablino and Leucistic. (Not to be confused with albino as leucistic have pigment in their eyes and sometimes on parts of their body).
Axolotls are very cool as pets. Their disproportionate bodies and adorable external gills are so cute and how many people can say that their pet will never grow up and can grow back an eyeball? Axolotl owners can.
Hope you learned a little something about axolotls, the coolest salamander fish leg things on the planet!
