10 Fun Facts about Axolotls

Famous for their cute dragon-like appearance and strange nature, Axolotls are one of the most famous pets in the world, but these aquatic creatures have an odd side!

So, what exactly do they hide? Get familiar with these aquatic beasts using these 10 fun facts:

 

       1. Axolotls never Blink

Axolotls don’t have eyelids, therefore they can’t blink; even while asleep, they still have their eyes open. While some people may think that they’ve seen one blink, it's most probably while eating; their eyes, similar to frogs, may sink into their faces due to the sucking motion, but it’s totally safe and normal!

 

    2. Blending and never Aging

They can adapt to their environment and change color! Similar to octopus, axolotls are able to adjust their bodies to their surroundings and deter potential predators. However, that’s not the only fascinating thing about their body: they never go through metamorphosis and don’t lose any of their larval features, resulting in them looking like babies for their entire lives. They also don’t develop teeth, making them rely on a suction method to consume food.

 

      3. Axolotls are Gods

The Aztecs believed that their god of fire and lighting, Xolotl, transformed himself into these “water monsters” (atl, "water,” and xolotl, “monster”). The legend has it that the other gods decided to sacrifice themselves to make the sun move, but Xolotl did not want to be sacrificed, so he turned himself into an Axolotl, making the animal their deity.

 

     4.  Aztecs ate them as a delicacy

As you see, Axolotls appear often in Aztec life and culture. Oddly enough, they used to eat them, and in marketplaces, raw and roasted salamanders were an important protein source for the population, making them a delicacy for their nutritional value. Does that mean the Aztecs used to eat their God?

 

      5. Axolotls are Critically Endangered

Axolotls live in only two places in the entire world (freshwater lakes in Mexico: Lake Xochimilco and Lake Chalco). Due to human development, wastewater disposal, and loss of habitat due to droughts, adult individuals are less than a thousand, making the wild Axolotl a critically endangered animal by the IUCN. Happily, Axolotls are one of the most famous pets to keep at home due to their looks and easy breeding in captivity. Ever since their arrival in Europe in 1864, they have fascinated the public, and nowadays there’s close to One million individuals in captivity.

 

      6. They can Regenerate Whole body parts

Similar to lizards that can detach their tail when threatened and regrow it later, axolotls have the ability to regenerate whole body parts. Axolotl’s abilities surpass those of any other animal, being able to regenerate whole limbs, parts of organs, eyes, and even the front of their brain. Due to these insane skills, axolotls are widely researched in laboratories with the hope of making us, humans, able to regenerate as well as them.

      7. Axolotls perform a Mating Dance

Axolotls are generally solitary creatures, but that doesn’t mean they don’t go all out when it’s time for mating. During breeding season, males secrete chemicals into the water and perform a mating dance called ‘hula dance’ in which they wiggle around the female; later, if interested, the female responds, and both join forces to impregnate her. Then a single female lays between 400 and 1000 eggs at a time.

 

      8. They’re carnivorous and once in a while cannibalistic

Despite their charm, Axolotls are carnivores. During the day, they burrow themselves into the vegetation, but during the night, they are effective predators, inhaling worms, mollusks, crustaceans, insect larvae, and even small fish! Axolotls are often cannibals during their early stages of life and later grow out of this phase when all four limbs are formed. Although rare, there are cases of cannibalism in adult individuals, but it’s not a problem because of their regenerative abilities.

 

      9. The Axolotls created in a lab

While albino, purple, blue, and yellow axolotls are all selectively bred for the pet trade, they exist in the wild (although very rarely). The Chimera and Fluorescent Axolotls do not exist in the wild and were made in a lab. The Chimera is not a true morph and has both sides of its body different colors. The Fluorescent Axolotl, on the other hand, as you can probably tell by the name, has the ability to glow green under backlight.

    10. They can Breathe both through their Skin and Lungs

The strangely-looking feathery things on the top of the heads of axolotls are actually their gills. Strangely enough, axolotls have two sources of oxygen: the gills and the poorly developed lungs, with which they can survive for up to an hour outside water.

 

So that was it – 10 facts about the strange and cute axolotl. Now get ready to learn more about the spectacular wildlife of our Planet with The Wildlife Echo! (link#)

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