Axolotl | Description, Diet, Habitat, & Lifespan | Britannica

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External Websites

• Animal Diversity Web - Ambystoma mexicanum
• National Center for Biotechnology Information - PubMed Central - The Axolotl's journey to the modern molecular era
• The Spruce Pets - Axolotl (Mexican Walking Fish): Species Profile
• WebMD - What Is an Axolotl?
• Nature - The axolotl genome and the evolution of key tissue formation regulators
• PetMD - Axolotl - Ambystoma mexicanum
• PNAS - The giant axolotl genome uncovers the evolution, scaling, and transcriptional control of complex gene loci
• CNN - Why axolotls seem to be everywhere — except in the one lake they call home
• San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance - LibGuides at International Environment Library Consortium - Axolotl (Ambystoma mexicanum) Fact Sheet: Summary
• Natural History Museum - Axolotls: Meet the amphibians that never grow up
• Cell Press - Current Biology - Regeneration lessons from the axolotl
• Frontiers - Frontiers in Amphibian and Reptile Science - Embryo development in Mexican axolotl (Ambystoma mexicanum): a stage morphological study

Britannica Websites Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students.

• axolotl - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11)
• axolotl - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up)

axolotl amphibian Ask Anything Homework Help Also known as: Ambystoma mexicanum, Rhyacosiredon mexicanum, Siredon mexicanum(Show More) Written and fact-checked by Britannica Editors Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree.... Britannica Editors Last updated Feb. 19, 2026 •History Britannica AI Ask Anything Table of Contents Table of Contents Ask Anything

News •

Battle to save the endangered axolotl • Feb. 18, 2026, 12:13 PM ET (CBC) Show less

axolotl, (Ambystoma mexicanum), salamander of the family Ambystomatidae (order Caudata), notable for its permanent retention of larval features, such as external gills. The species is found only in Lake Xochimilco, within Mexico City, where it is classified as a critically endangered species. The name axolotl is also applied to any full-grown larva of Ambystoma tigrinum (tiger salamander) that has not yet lost its external gills.

A. mexicanum grows to about 25 cm (10 inches) long and is dark brown with black speckling. Both albino and white mutants, as well as other colour mutants, are common. The legs and feet are rather small, but the tail is long. A fin extends from the back of the head to the tip of the tail. A lower fin extends from between the hind legs to the tip of the tail. The axolotl is paedomorphic (that is, it retains its larval traits throughout adulthood). Axolotls prey on a variety of aquatic organisms, including fish, mollusks, aquatic insects, and other axolotls. Although captive axolotls may live as long as 15 years, axolotls live for only about five or six years in the wild.

Related Topics: Ambystoma (Show more) On the Web: Frontiers - Frontiers in Amphibian and Reptile Science - Embryo development in Mexican axolotl (Ambystoma mexicanum): a stage morphological study (Feb. 06, 2026) (Show more) See all related content

Axolotl populations have declined considerably due to a combination of habitat loss (largely driven by Mexico City’s continued urbanization), water pollution, and invasive species (such as carp and tilapia, which compete with axolotls for food and prey upon them). Ecologists estimate that fewer than 1,000 axolotls exist in the wild, and the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) has classified the axolotl as a critically endangered species since 2006. Axolotls can be bred in captivity, where they are used for food and sold as pets. Captive populations have been introduced on occasion into remaining habitats to supplement wild populations.

Britannica Quiz Match the Baby Animal to Its Mama Quiz The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica This article was most recently revised and updated by Rick Livingston.