Amazing Axalotls
Although the axolotl is colloquially known as a "walking fish", it is not a fish, but an amphibian.
they are part of the ambystomatidae family
they are vertebrates
it takes the scientific name of Ambystoma mexicanum
it is a neotenic salamander related to the tiger salamander.
it is also known as the mexican walking fish.
its conservation status is critically endangered
its in the class of amphibia
its kingdom is animalia
The axolotl got its name from the words atl meaning water and xolotl meaning dog.
it is aquatic
Lake Xochimilco has been transformed into a series of canals and the axolotl has since been listed as critically endangered by the IUCN.
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It is a salamander that can regenerate its body parts.
Xolotl is a dog-headed Aztec deity who was believed to have transformed himself into a salamander to hide.
The average axolotl is 9 inches long.
it is endemic to Lake Xochimilcoa UNESCO Heritage Site in the south of mexico city
They used to be found in Lake Chalco in central Mexico City before the lake was drained.
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Major threats that cause their extinction include habitat loss, invasion of larger species, and environmental pollution mainly due to heavy tourism.
From 6,000 documented wild axolotls in a 1998 survey, it got to a point when there were none found in the wild in a 2014 survey.
It spends its whole life underwater
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The genome of an axolotl consists of 32 million DNA bases, which is 10 times the size of the human genome.
Their average life span is 10 years.
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Axolotls are commonly black or brown with green or gold spots.
The colors of axolotls are controlled by four genes.
These genes cause significant difference in their pigment patterns.
White axolotls are considered leucistic, which means they are white due to a lack of pigment.
White axolotls are believed to have originated from a mutant axolotl that was transported to Paris in 1863.
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An axolotl eats food that it can fit in its mouth, like small snails, fish, worms, crustaceans, and other tiny amphibians.
The meat of axolotls used to be eaten before it was endangered. Axolotls were a staple in the Aztec diet.