Facts about Axolotls

Unlike most amphibians, axolotls live their entire lives underwater

Amphibians start life in water, then grow lungs and move onto land, right? Not the axolotl. These salamanders stay in their larval form for life, keeping their gills, tails and aquatic lifestyle — a trait called neoteny.¹

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Axolotls are common in aquariums — but nearly extinct in the wild

Axolotls are popular pets around the world and have been bred in labs for over a century. But in their natural habitat, they’re critically endangered by urbanization, pollution and invasive species. According to the IUCN Red List², just 50 – 1,000 may remain in the wild.

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The axolotl’s last wild home is an ancient canal system

More than a thousand years ago — centuries before the Aztec Empire — the Xochimilca people built a system of canals and artificial islands to grow crops in the shallow lakes of central Mexico.

Today, the remnants of that system are the only place on Earth where axolotls still live in the wild³. But this habitat is shrinking due to pollution, invasive species and urban sprawl.

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Most pet axolotls trace back to a shipment to Paris in 1864

In the 1860s, French naturalists brought 34 live axolotls from Mexico to Paris. The salamanders thrived in captivity and were soon bred in labs and zoos across Europe. Today, most axolotls in aquariums and research labs around the world are descendants of that original group.⁴

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Wild axolotls are brown and speckled — unlike the pink ones you see online

Captive-bred axolotls trace their unique coloring back to a white-colored male from the group brought to Paris in 1864⁴. Over time, selective breeding has led to other color morphs like gold, black and even pale blue.

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Axolotls can regrow parts of their body — including their heart and spine

If an axolotl loses a limb, it doesn’t scar — it regenerates. These salamanders can grow back not just legs and tails, but also parts of their heart, spine and even brain⁵. That’s one reason scientists brought them into labs in the 1800s, and why researchers still study them today.

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Axolotls are cannibals

Despite their gentle appearance, young axolotls in captivity will sometimes bite off each other’s limbs — especially in crowded tanks.⁵ Some scientists believe this may be why axolotls evolved the ability to regenerate lost body parts in the first place.

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Axolotls are nearly toothless

Axolotls may nibble on their tankmates, but they’re not doing much chewing. Instead of true teeth, they have tiny ridges that help them grip prey.⁶ They eat by quickly opening their mouths and sucking in water — along with worms, insects or anything bite-sized that floats by. It’s more vacuum cleaner than vicious bite.

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The axolotl genome is 10 times the size of the human genome

The sheer number of axolotl genes⁷ has made it difficult for researchers to pin down precisely which ones are responsible for the axolotl’s remarkable regenerative properties.

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Ancient farming techniques could help save the axolotl

For centuries, Indigenous farmers in central Mexico used a method called chinampas — artificial islands built in shallow lakes — to grow crops. These floating gardens created a rich habitat for wildlife, including the axolotl⁸. Today, Conservation International is helping local communities revive this technique to support sustainable farming and restore the axolotl’s last habitat.

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