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Contributor: Jay Gregorio. Lesson ID: 13331
Is it a fish? Is it a tadpole? Is it an adult? Is it walking? Is it smiling at me? Is it regrowing a limb? Is it extinct? Uncover all the answers as you discover the amazing axolotl!
Xolotl was the god of fire, lightning, deformities, and death.
According to myth, the Aztec gods needed to sacrifice themselves to the sun to keep it alive and moving across the sky. However, Xolotl was fearful of being sacrificed, so it disguised itself as an animal.
The legend says that the animal Xolotl transformed into an amphibious salamander resembling a water dog.
This is how the axolotl (pronounced AX-oh-lot-ul) got its name.
While the etymology of this Mexican salamander is interesting, the axolotl is a wonder because of its exceptional abilities, which only a few life forms on earth share.
The axolotl is also known as the Mexican walking fish, but it isn't really a fish. It's an amphibian!
At first glance, however, it is easy to see why people mistakenly call it a fish. They are found in the freshwaters of Mexico, although they are rarely seen. This salamander is considered to be one of the most unique and unusual creatures on the earth.
Axolotl Classification and General Characteristics
| Class: Amphibia | Order: Caudata | Family: Ambystomatidae |
| Genus: Ambystoma | Species: mexicanum | |
| Life Span: | 10 - 15 years |
| Gestation: | 2 weeks |
| Number of Young: | 300 - 1,000 eggs |
| Age of Maturity: | 6 months |
| Length: | 6 - 18 inches |
| Weight: | 2 - 8 ounces |
Axolotls range in color from light pink to different shades of gray with greenish mottling or silver highlights. It has a broad, flat body with a large head donning its signature feathery gills waving gently in the water.
Its mouth is often bent into a slight grin or is otherwise expressive. Round, dark eyes with yellow, iridescent irises take in its murky environment. It has lizard-like limbs that carry it along the lake bottom.
What Makes Axolotl Unique?
Neoteny
Humans have always been fascinated with the idea of staying young by looking young. It seems like the axolotl holds the secret recipe!
They are known to be neotenic which means that they can delay or slow down their physiological development. It is a rare trait that helps them retain their larval stage throughout their adult life.
Aquatic
Axolotls differ from other salamanders because they live permanently in water. In rare cases, they develop into maturity underwater and emerge later in life. However, for the most part, they seem to enjoy their lives swimming and staying wet.
Camouflage
If the mythological Aztec god changed its shape to avoid sacrifice, the same is true for the axolotl.
Dark-colored axolotls can change their color shade lighter or darker to blend in with its surroundings. Axolotls that are safely kept as pets tend to have a light pink color which is pleasing to the eyes.
Regeneration
Perhaps one of the most astonishing characteristics of the axolotl is the ability to regenerate. This means that they can regrow their limbs, jaws, spines, lungs, hearts, and some parts of the brain!
Many researchers have found that they can grow limbs perfectly in a few weeks without a trace of a scar.
Watch the video below to learn more.
Axolotl Diet
The answer is yes. Despite their unlikely predator characteristics - like an infantile charm and undeveloped teeth - they eat worms, mollusks, crustaceans, insect larvae, and even smaller fish!
Axolotls are also very strategic. They hide under the mud during the day and hunt for food at night when everyone is resting.
Axolotls Are Endangered
Axolotls are known to live up to 15 years in the wild, which is longer than most salamanders.
When larger fish are introduced to their body of water, axolotls cannot compete for food and other resources. Also, the increase in the heron population - their natural predator - has threatened their survival.
Axolotls are incredible creatures with very interesting characteristics. Watch this next video before moving on to the Got It? section to answer questions about this quirky amphibian.
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