Axolotl Ambystoma mexicanum

Native to South America

One of nature's mysteries the Axolotl is the true "Peter Pan" of the animal world in so much as it never grows up. A member of the wider Tiger Salamander family, it is peculiar in that the larvae stage which never actually metamorphosis into the adult form as other salamanders do.

Axolotls live at temperatures of 14 °C (57 °F)-20 °C (68 °F), preferably 17 °C (63 °F)-18 °C (64 °F). As for all cold-blooded organisms, lower temperatures result in slower metabolism; higher temperatures can lead to stress and increased appetite. Chlorine, commonly added to tapwater, is harmful to axolotls. A single typical axolotl typically requires a 40 l (8 gal) tank with a water depth of at least 15 cm (6 in). Axolotls spend a majority of the time at the bottom of the tank. In captivity, axolotls eat a variety of readily available foods, including trout and salmon pellets, frozen or live bloodworms, earthworms, and waxworms. Axolotls can also eat feeder fish, but care should be taken as fish left in the tank may graze on the axolotls exposed gills.

The feature of the Axolotl that attracts most attention is its healing ability: the axolotl does not heal by scarring and is capable of the regeneration of entire lost appendages in a period of months, and, in certain cases, more vital structures.

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