Axolotl
Axolotl is scientifically named Ambystoma mexicanum and is a salamander native to the lake and canal system of Xochimilco, just outside Mexico City.
HABITAT: The axolotl’s homeland is the network of lakes and canals around Xochimilco, a historic water landscape near the southern edge of Mexico City. This watery realm provides cool, still pools, dense aquatic vegetation, and a steady supply of small prey that sustain its distinctive life cycle. Over the years, growing urban demand and pollution have eroded parts of this habitat, reducing suitable habitat for wild populations. Conservation efforts now emphasize protecting water quality, restoring canal channels, and supporting captive breeding programs worldwide so that scientists and hobbyists can study and appreciate this remarkable species. In recent decades, researchers and local communities have joined forces to monitor water conditions and to implement restoration projects aimed at preserving what remains of the axolotl’s ancient home. DID YOU KNOW? – The axolotl is widely used in scientific research because it can regrow entire limbs and other tissues, a feature that has advanced knowledge of regeneration and developmental biology. The work is supported by many institutions and researchers around the world, including the Smithsonian’s science programs. – Its external gills stay with it throughout life, appearing as feathery filaments that extend from the head region and help extract oxygen directly from the water. – It is listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, mainly due to habitat loss, pollution, and the introduction of non-native competitors and predators. — IUCN Red List, 2023 – Color variation within the species includes wild-type brown with spots and melanoid black, with rarer morphs such as leucistic pinkish hues and albino tones. These color morphs reflect a combination of genetics and rearing conditions and are common in captive populations. – In the wild, axolotls typically live 10 to 15 years, though in captivity they can reach two decades or more; there are documented cases of individuals surviving into their mid-20s in controlled environments. — Captive care records – Reproduction occurs in shallow, warm waters when seasonal shifts raise water temperatures; females release eggs that are fertilized externally by males, and embryos develop within gelatinous masses attached to vegetation. The larval stage remains aquatic for life and axolotls rarely metamorphose into a terrestrial form, a trait unusual among salamanders. – Their senses and physical traits: They have lidless eyes that face forward for precise prey capture, and their skin and gills show a remarkable capacity to heal and regenerate.