The Ultimate Regenerator
Axolotls can completely regenerate lost limbs, portions of their brain, spinal cord, and even heart tissue without any scarring.
Forever Young
They exhibit 'neoteny', meaning they never undergo metamorphosis. They keep their larval features, like external gills and fins, for their entire lives.
A Tiny Native Home
In the wild, axolotls are only found in one place in the entire world: the lake complex of Xochimilco, near Mexico City.
The Vacuum Eaters
They don't chew their food! Axolotls are carnivorous and feed by opening their mouths suddenly, creating a vacuum that sucks in prey whole.
A Rainbow of Colors
While wild axolotls are usually dark brown or black, captive ones come in many colors including pale pink (leucistic), golden, and completely black (melanoid).
Three Ways to Breathe
Axolotls are breathing champions! They can absorb oxygen through their feathery external gills, their lungs (which they gulp air into), and directly through their skin.
Ancient Aztec Legends
They are named after Xolotl, the Aztec god of fire and lightning, who legend says disguised himself as an axolotl to avoid being sacrificed.