The Axolotl also known as ‘The Mexican walking fish’ is an amphibian, the same family as newts, frogs, and toads. Axolotls are distinct from other salamanders in that they do not go through metamorphosis; instead, they remain in their juvenile form their whole lives.
This means that, despite developing lungs, they breathe underwater using their feathery gills rather than their air-breathing lungs like adult amphibians normally do. Axolotls are normally dark-coloured, but can shift their hue a few shades lighter or darker for camouflage.
Axolotls are used extensively in scientific research due to their ability to regenerate limbs, gills and parts of their eyes and brains. For example, if a leg gets ripped or bitten off, it will fully grow back again after some time. One downside, however, axolotls can’t open or close their eyes like other mammals because they lack eyelids.
The word Axolotl comes from the Aztec language Nahutal. “Atl” means “water”, whilst “Xolotl” is one of the Aztec gods. The translation of Axolotl therefore means water food or water monster. As the name suggests, the lakes of Mexico are the original home of these creatures.