One source I won’t name because I cannot verify their claim says that axolotls are the second-most popular pet in the country.
I don’t believe it.
That said, there is no reason to not consider this a pet for the child or even grownup who likes to watch the creature move around an aquarium.
An axolotl (Ambystoma mexicanum), (pronounced ACK-suh-LAH-tuhl) is something most folks might erroneously call a mud puppy, salamander or even a water dog. This vertebrate amphibian differs from all other salamanders because it lives its life completely underwater. Nonetheless, it is still a type of salamander.
It is carnivorous and can live as long as 15 years. It eats mollusks, worms, insect larvae, crustaceans, and some fish since it can grow as long as 18 inches. In its natural habitat, birds like herons are its natural predator as are some fish.
This curious animal which is quite common in the pet trade is critically endangered in the wild. But fear not, the things breed easily and that’s where the pet trade gets their supply. Trouble with that is genetic diversity may be being decreased versus random mating which produces hybrid vigor.
In the wild, the axolotl is found only in the lake complex known as Xochimilco (pronounced SO-chee-MILL-koh), near Mexico City. This little slippery guy is a top predator in its native habitat but is now also being outcompeted by introduction of large, nonnative fish. That taken with the fact that the ever-growing Mexico City is both draining and contaminating Xochimilco, the deck is stacked against the species’ survival.
Surveys conducted in 1998 showed about 2,300 axolotls per square mile. By 2014, that was down to only 14 per square mile. Today sources say there may be less than 1,500 left in the wild in total. Currently, the Mexican government is demarcating special areas to conserve the axolotl.
The animal’s coloration can vary between individuals including whites, albinos, yellows, pinks, and blacks or mottled greens. The pet trade seems to prefer the albinos, I think in part because the shape of their mouth, said to resemble a smile, is more apparent in the white ones. They also sport external gills sticking out above their head that are pink to red or blue.
Roasted over a charcoal fire, the creatures are considered a highly sought-after delicacy in Mexico City’s culture.
If one is wondering if the name axolotl has any significance, it does. The name was that of an Aztec god responsible for fire and lightning. In carvings and sculpture Xolotl is depicted as a dog-headed god who guides the dead. He was also the god of twins, monsters, misfortune, sickness and deformities. He was considered to be the dark personification of Venus.
The dog’s head in stone carvings usually looks like one of our dogs with the smushed-in face like a pug, boxer or Boston terrier. Paintings and ancient documents provide the deity with more snout but all with a very wide mouth.
Axolotls are an animal used in a variety of research as well. If they lose a leg, they can grow it back. If they lose a leg, they can accept a transplant with seemingly little or no rejection. Medicine would like to know how, but know cold-blooded animals can do bizarre things compared to us warmbloods.
Their brains have neural tubes that work much like our ears, thus eliminating the need for human volunteers in such research.
Finally, they have a gene that allows them to survive to the fetal stage with no discernable heartbeat.
Powell is the public information officer for the Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine, which provides this column as a community service. For questions or concerns about animals you’d like to read about, email cpowell@vetmed.wsu.edu.
