Where Do Axolotls Live? Exploring the Natural Habitat of These Unique Creatures

If you are a lover of Mexican fauna, there is a rather peculiar little reptile with a strange shape. Yes, where do axolotls live.

These small creatures, surrounded by stories and legends, are native to Mexico. Axolotls are reptiles that, due to nature’s design, have unique shapes and colors.

Many people want to know where axolotls live, especially since they are known to be an endangered species.

First, it’s essential to understand that axolotls are a unique species, considered a neotenic salamander.

What is a neotenic species? It’s a bit complex; it refers to an evolutionary adaptation that helps ensure the species’ survival.

Neoteny is a heterochronic process characterized by the retention of juvenile features in the adult organism compared to its ancestors or closely related organisms.

Because of this condition, the axolotl has a pronounced delay in its bodily development while its germ cells and reproductive organs develop normally.

Thus, the axolotl remains in a juvenile, tadpole-like state to survive and stay protected in the water.

Despite this remarkable adaptability, axolotls are still classified as an endangered species.

Myth of the Axolotl: Where Do Axolotls Live?

This species has tried to escape to protect itself, giving rise to many stories and myths.

One such myth tells of the god Xólotl, who, in an attempt to flee, transformed into various forms of nature until he finally escaped by becoming an axolotl.

The evolution of the axolotl is so peculiar that it has become a subject of study. Unlike other salamanders in the same family, axolotls are particularly easy to breed and are often kept in captivity due to their aquatic lifestyle, unlike their terrestrial relatives.

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A notable feature of axolotls for scientific research is the large size and ease of manipulation of their embryos, allowing for the observation of the complete development of a vertebrate within the egg.

Axolotls are used in studies on heart defects due to the presence of a mutant gene that causes heart failure in embryos.

Since the embryos survive almost to term despite the lack of heart function, the defect can be easily observed.

But up to this point, we want to know where do axolotls live. In this part of the text, we will share a bit about the habitat and lifestyle of axolotls.

Origin of the Axolotl

The axolotl is native to the Valley of Mexico, specifically in the canal system of Xochimilco in Mexico City.

Before their populations were drastically reduced, axolotls were distributed throughout the lagoon complex of the valley, including the lakes Texcoco and Chalco, and even in Tlaxcala, in the municipality of Carmen Tequexquitla.

Lake Chalco no longer exists, as it was drained for flood control, and Lake Xochimilco is now a remnant of its former self, consisting mainly of canals.

Surveys conducted in 1998, 2003, and 2008 found 6,000, 1,000, and 100 axolotls per square kilometer in their habitat in Lake Xochimilco, respectively.

However, a four-month search in 2013 did not find any surviving individuals in the wild. Just a month later, two wild individuals were sighted in a network of canals branching from Xochimilco.

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Where Do Axolotls Live?

Axolotls’ habitat consists of lakes or shallow water canals with abundant aquatic vegetation. They are a completely aquatic species.

As mentioned previously, they live in the canals of Mexico City, but due to ecosystem changes, this once-endemic species is now on the brink of disappearing from its natural habitat.

Destruction of Axolotls’ Habitat

As you can understand, Mexico City today is entirely different from what it was centuries ago. Urban development has led to the complete destruction of the axolotls’ habitat.

There are axolotls in captivity, but in their natural space, they are challenging to locate. According to the Mexican government, axolotls live among oyamel forests or in the wetlands of Xochimilco.

For researchers, axolotls are found in clean streams and canals; in fact, the presence of this Mexican amphibian indicates clean water and a healthy ecosystem.

The name “axolotl” comes from the Nahuatl word “axolotl,” which means “water monster,” and various species are distributed throughout almost the entire country.

One such species is the Zempoala axolotl (Ambystoma altamirani), which inhabits the higher-elevation oyamel and pine forests in the State of Mexico, Mexico City, and Morelos.

It lives in streams, but when it becomes an adult, it resides on land, seeking moist, dark places near water to return to for reproduction. This axolotl also undergoes metamorphosis to become a salamander.

The family to which it belongs (Ambystomatidae) comprises 28 salamander species, 15 of which are endemic to Mexico.

The Zempoala axolotl is an endangered species, listed as threatened in the NOM-059-SEMARNAT-2010 and included in the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List.

So, where do axolotls live? As you can see, despite being endangered, axolotls can be found in various places, except where they are considered to have originated.

The once-great Lake Xochimilco in Mexico was the only place where axolotls were found in the wild.

The agricultural system of artificial floating islands called chinampas once provided a thriving habitat for these now-threatened amphibians, but urban development has turned the area into a massive sewer.

Additionally, invasive fish species like carp and tilapia, which feed on axolotl eggs, have been introduced.

According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, fewer than 100 adult axolotls remain in the wild, and this species is considered critically endangered.

Scientific Interest in the Axolotl

The axolotl (Ambystoma mexicanum) is another Mexican species of global interest. Unlike the Zempoala axolotl, it does not transform into a salamander but remains in its larval state, meaning it stays young.

This characteristic has made it an experimental model for scientific institutions due to its high capacity to regenerate tissues, limbs, and even parts of its heart and brain.

Currently, there are few axolotls left in Lake Xochimilco, which is why it appears on the NOM-059-SEMARNAT-2010 list under the category “P,” meaning endangered.

Popularity of the Axolotl

As implausible as it may seem, in the wild, the axolotl is facing extinction, but in captivity, there are more and more.

So, to the question of where axolotls live, there is a straightforward answer: in aquariums and domestic fish tanks.

There are more axolotls in these artificial spaces than in their natural habitat. The challenges axolotls face in the wild are almost diametrically opposed to the fame they have gained in recent years.

Axolotls have captured human imagination for centuries, as evidenced by their roles in Aztec religion and stories, but the beginning of the 21st century seems to be a high point for them.

Some interesting facts about axolotls:

• Axolotls adorn the 50-peso Mexican bill.
• There are Pokémon inspired by axolotls, and Reddit commentators have noted that the character Toothless from the “How to Train Your Dragon” film series clearly resembles axolotls.
• Argentine writer Julio Cortázar wrote a short story called “Axolotl.”
• Wooper is the name of a Pokémon character similar to this species.
• They live as pets in aquariums around the world.
• They come in white-pink, spotted brown, and completely black varieties.

Belief or Traditional Story Associated with Axolotls

It could be said that axolotls are a symbol of Mexican nature, and their presence permeates marketing to identify what is authentic or original.

Culturally, axolotls have been an integral part of the mythology and worldview of Mexican peoples since ancient times.

For the Aztecs, axolotls were closely linked to the water deity, Xochiquetzal, and were associated with fertility and renewal.

It is estimated that axolotls are not only culturally significant creatures in Mexico but also invaluable objects of scientific study.

Due to the belief that axolotls dance, dances and musical themes have been created; plush toys, figures, and other merchandise featuring axolotls flood the Mexican market.