Trending: Axolotls

"Scuba looks like an axolotl but without gills."

"I know a lot about axolotls."

"Are axolotls larval salamanders?"

Photo: Detroit Zoo

These are just a few comments I've heard recently at outreach programs, field trips, and the "Ask A Naturalist" station in the exhibit. It seems like everyone under the age of 12 is talking about axolotls!

Is the obscure animal now a part of elementary school curriculum? Or was there a Wild Kratt's episode on the Mexico native? I don't know why axolotls are trending now, but I figured I'd better learn more about them!

Axolotls are a rare salamander species found in Mexico that spend their whole lives underwater. Instead of undergoing metamorphosis and transforming into a land-based salamander, they maintain their larval body, complete with a finned tail and feathery gills, through adulthood. Due to habitat loss and invasive species, axolotls are listed as critically endangered.

Update 6/25/2022: I just found out their popularity is due to their appearance in the video game Minecraft. Thanks to the game designers for getting the word out about this endangered species!