More info: Axolotls are members of the tiger salamander species and are Critically Endangered amphibians endemic to Mexico. They are found in three sites in the southern part of Mexico City in central Mexico – the canals at Xochimilco, Chalco lake and Chapultepec Lake.



Axolotls have wide heads, short limbs, webbed feet and three pairs of feathery external gills. They can grow to around 45cm (18in), and can move at a lightning speed of up to 10mph (15kph). Unlike other salamanders that undergo metamorphosis, axolotls never outgrow their larval, juvenile stage, a phenomenon called neoteny.

In their natural habitat axolotls eat worms, insects, small fish, and just about anything else that can fit inside their mouth and swallow whole, including other salamanders.

Due to the inclusion of axolotls in the Minecraft computer game their popularity has soared in recent months and they are reportedly now the second-most sought-after pet in the US, ahead of cats, and demand is rocketing in the UK and elsewhere.

Because the axolotl population is dropping in the wild, the Mexican government, as well as many nonprofits, are trying to save axolotls, in part by restoring parts of their freshwater habitat and offering ecotourism for people to see the quirky salamanders in the wild.