Meet Dave, the Axolotl
Michael Remo | January 26, 2026
A typical axolotl swims in Lake Xochimilco, bordering southern Mexico City. Let’s call him Dave. The increasing shoreline hems in its original water paths. Another obstacle stands in its way, invisible to the axolotl: a heron. The heron does what it naturally does: peck for food in the mud.
His long, pointy beak, specialized specifically for finding small creatures like our friend Dave, stabs through the water, making contact with one of Dave’s fragile limbs.
Axolotls may be some of the weirdest animals out there. It looks like someone mashed a catfish with a frog, threw some antennae on it, and then colored it pink. Most axolotls are mottled brown, but pink, for some reason, seems to have grown in popularity a lot more than brown axolotls.
The reason is that aquariums have been breeding the axolotls specifically with a certain strain of axolotls to turn them pink. Proof? Right here.
In the wild, the axolotls are extremely resilient. Remember Dave? Well, after his limb got severed, he curled up in a corner. Well, not exactly. He was able to regrow his limb in a relatively short period of only a month. That’s right, axolotls have the power of regeneration. They can regrow almost all body parts. Brain? Check. No spine? No problem.
Sadly, these amazing creatures are also being threatened. Predators like the egret and fish, like tilapia, love to prey on the axolotls, further lowering their population along with the slowly receding shoreline. Many private companies also capture axolotls to sell as pets. They now have the status of Critically Endangered.
Even though they are Critically Endangered, these axolotls are some of the most amazing creatures on the planet, since they can regrow limbs and overcome fantastically huge obstacles - all while looking adorable.