The axolotl,
Ambystoma mexicanum, is a large
salamander native to
Lake Xochimilco,
Mexico. It belongs to the group of salamanders known as
mole salamanders.
The axolotl is
dark colored with
greenish mottling. Sometimes there are
silvery patches on the skin. The eyes have
yellow,
iridescent irises. Adult axolotls can reach about 9-12 inches in length from
nose to
tail, and they can weigh as much as 300 grams. They usually live to around 6-8 years but can live to 15 or even 25 years.
They bear three pairs of
feathery
gills and are
plump and
short-legged.
If conditions are unfavorable they may fail to
metamorphose, staying in the
larval stage and keeping their gills but can still
reproduce.
Axolotls are
carnivores. They eat water
insects and insect
larvae,
small fish,
worms,
Daphnia, and similar small aquatic life.