What is an Axolotl, why do they matter?
Critically endangered salamander amphibian, with large feathery gills
They are of historical, cultural and scientific importance - only endemic to Lake Xochimilco, a wetland ecosystem in Mexico City
Unlike other species of amphibian, they remain in their ‘larval stage’, spend their entire lives underwater, and never metamorphosise into a creature able to walk on land.
Known worldwide for their extraordinary power to regenerate entire limbs and organs
Beloved aquarium pets worldwide
Within the scientific community they are a species of key interest: axolotl oocytes even have the ability to stop certain human cancer cells mutating.
The species is sometimes known as the ‘water monster’ or ‘water dog’, and in the Aztec myth The Raising of the 5th Sun, god Xolotl disguises himself as his namesake, to escape sacrifice.
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