What is So Unique About the Axolotl?

In a few lakes in Mexico lives a curious creature… what do you call an animal that never grows up, breathes through fancy frills on its head, and gobbles food like a tiny vacuum? Meet that axo… little. Axolitl. Acko livle. Axo. Acko… I give up. Take it away, Mike. Mike Masellis: An axolotl is a type of salamander that is found in Mexico City. Mike: My parents lied and told me they were allergic to furry animals. So I can only have fish. So that's why I guess I became a fish person. Our “fish person” works with the aquarium team to take care of a cast of creatures that includes axolotls, the Peter Pans of salamanders. Mike: They’re actually really unique among salamanders because they're neotenic. So they remain in the larval stage for their entire life. So that's those feathery gills that people love to see that kind of look a little bit like ears, but they actually help them breathe. Mike: Axolotls are sort of like I said, a juvenile stage of the salamander that never grows up. So maybe that's why we love them so much. When most salamanders enter their adult stage, they start breathing through their lungs and skin instead of using gills. Mike: Axolotls, they keep those feathery gills that they can use if the oxygen level in the water is high enough, they can breathe oxygen out of the water. But if they want, they also have a lung that they can come up to the surface and take a gulp of air. Gulping… is kinda their thing. Mike: They're just like little Pac-Men. Like they just will gobble up anything. So they're really cute and fun to feed. Mike: For an axolotl, something delicious would be an insect or a worm or small fish, and they'll eat them by just doing a giant gulp and grabbing them. They do have some small teeth, but those teeth mostly just help hold prey in place until they can swallow. Mike: They love to eat, and I think that's kind of their personality. But in the wild, these critters are facing survival challenges that leave little room for snacking. Mike: They're critically endangered. They're found in kind of the remnants of Lake Xochimilco, which is in Mexico City. It's a highly urbanized area. So that was kind of their main issue, but also invasive species are another threat for them in the wild. So in the wild, they're estimating kind of under a thousand animals remain. Sure, they’re adorable, but they’re not made for the average pet owner. Mike: The most important thing is to note that even though they're very popular in video games and on social media, that they do require specialized care. Mike: Come and visit them at a zoo or aquarium where we kind of have the ability to take care of them easily and well. Mike: Let them serve as ambassadors for their species and let us have the kind of conversations we're having here.