The axolotl usually remains aquatic for life.
COMPLETE SPECIES PROFILE
Axolotl
Ambystoma mexicanum
One species, many connections.
Also known as: Mexican walking fish, Mexican salamander
WHY IT MATTERS
One species, many connections.
It reflects the health of Xochimilco wetlands and links traditional landscapes, water quality, invasive species, and conservation science.
- Scientific name
- Ambystoma mexicanum
- Animal group
- Vertebrate · Amphibia
- Environment
- Freshwater
PUBLIC-DOMAIN VISUAL RECORDS
Two additional perspectives
Together with the primary image, these records show behavior and habitat without covering the photographs with labels.
INTERACTIVE TAXONOMY
Interactive classification
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DID YOU KNOW?
Curiosities that reveal how it lives
It can regenerate limbs and parts of several organs.
Its feathery external gills increase the surface available for gas exchange.
Most pale pink axolotls seen in captivity do not represent the usual wild coloration.
Where it lives
Freshwater canals and wetlands of the Xochimilco system in Mexico City.
How it lives
Aquatic insects, worms, crustaceans, and small fish.
Key adaptations
It normally retains larval features, including external gills, throughout adult life.
Its connections
It reflects the health of Xochimilco wetlands and links traditional landscapes, water quality, invasive species, and conservation science.
Pressures and protection
Habitat loss, pollution, invasive fish, and a very restricted wild range.