What are they?
Axolotl are amphibians or neotenic salamanders, otherwise know as Mexican Salamander and Mexican Walking Fish. This means that they can keep their juvenile characteristic with them as they grow older. So they are able to keep their "baby face" as they grow older.
Habitat: Central Mexico; solely in the lake complex of Xochimilco near Mexico City where they are historically native. Lives in freshwater places like lakes and pond.
Diet: Worms, insect larvae (that live in the lake water), crustaceans, mollusks (like snails, mussels), and some fish. Technically anything they can catch in the water.
Predators: Larger fish (which was the cause of their endangerment since they have only been recently introduced), birds, storks, and herons. However, they are the top predators in their native land which is lake Xochimilco.
Life span: 10 to 15 years (in the wild).
Maturity: It takes only 10 to 14 days to become independent. They reach their reproductive maturity in 1 year, when they reach their next breeding season.
Mating: Axolotls breed from March to June. They produce 100 to 300 eggs which hatch after 10 to 14 days.
Size: 6 to 12 inches (15 to 30 cm).
Weight: 60 to 227 grams ( 2.11 to 8 oz).
Endangered?: Yes, axolotls are almost extinct (!!) due to the introduction of predatory fishes and habitat loss. (according to
http://animaldiversity.org/site/accounts/information/Ambystoma_mexicanum.html )
Really Cool Facts:
Videos!!:
Axolotl are amphibians or neotenic salamanders, otherwise know as Mexican Salamander and Mexican Walking Fish. This means that they can keep their juvenile characteristic with them as they grow older. So they are able to keep their "baby face" as they grow older.
Habitat: Central Mexico; solely in the lake complex of Xochimilco near Mexico City where they are historically native. Lives in freshwater places like lakes and pond.
Diet: Worms, insect larvae (that live in the lake water), crustaceans, mollusks (like snails, mussels), and some fish. Technically anything they can catch in the water.
Predators: Larger fish (which was the cause of their endangerment since they have only been recently introduced), birds, storks, and herons. However, they are the top predators in their native land which is lake Xochimilco.
Life span: 10 to 15 years (in the wild).
Maturity: It takes only 10 to 14 days to become independent. They reach their reproductive maturity in 1 year, when they reach their next breeding season.
Mating: Axolotls breed from March to June. They produce 100 to 300 eggs which hatch after 10 to 14 days.
Size: 6 to 12 inches (15 to 30 cm).
Weight: 60 to 227 grams ( 2.11 to 8 oz).
Endangered?: Yes, axolotls are almost extinct (!!) due to the introduction of predatory fishes and habitat loss. (according to
http://animaldiversity.org/site/accounts/information/Ambystoma_mexicanum.html )
Really Cool Facts:
- They are able to regenerate their limbs so they have been used a lot in science experiments around the world.
- They are different from other salamanders because they only stay in water and rarely come out. In extremely rare cases, they emerge from the lake once they mature, but even then, most, if not all axolotls would stay in the bottom of Xochimilco’s lakes and canals.(according to http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/amphibians/axolotl/ )
- The average life span of an axolotl in captive is 5 to 6 years.
- They don't go through metamorphosis which is why they are able to keep their juvenile like features.
- Their name comes from the Aztecs word, Nahuatl, which means water monster or water dog.
Videos!!: