Axolotl
Ambystoma mexicanum
The adult axolotl is a permanently aquatic salamander native to the canal and lake habitats around Xochimilco, where it favors cool, plant-filled water with plenty of cover. It is an ambush predator, eating worms, insect larvae, small crustaceans, and small fish by suddenly opening its mouth to suck prey in. Unlike most salamanders, it usually keeps its larval features, including external gills, throughout life. Its remarkable ability to regenerate limbs, tail tissue, parts of the heart, and even portions of the nervous system has made it one of the world's best-known research animals.
- Type
- Water
- Conservation status
- CR
Growth chain
- Axolotl Larva
- Axolotl