L2 Animal Care - Introducing the Axolotl

Did you know the axolotl can regenerate limbs? In fact, it can regrow multiple body parts, including its jaws, spinal cord and skin! This extraordinary amphibian is a kind of salamander, but it remains in its larval form even once it has grown into a full-sized adult – a state known as neoteny. This means that the adult axolotl retains its feathery gills and the fin along its back, earning it the nickname ‘walking fish.’ The axolotl is known only from central Mexico and is now almost extinct in the wild, due to the rapid growth of Mexico City and resulting destruction and pollution of its habitat in lakes and waterways. Through the ZSL EDGE of Existence Programme, we’re working to conserve the world’s most Evolutionarily Distinct and Globally Endangered species, like the axolotl.