GNOCE Mexican Axolotl Pendant Charm Sterling Silver Dangle Charm Inlaid with Crystal Purple Gemstones Fit Bracelet/Necklace for Women Girls Wife Daughter, Silver,Purple

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Descended from the tiger salamander, the axolotl is “young", having inhabited central Mexico for only about the last 10,000 years, according to some experts. Indigenous to these two spring-fed lakes along the southern edge of the Basin of Mexico, much of its suitable habitat has been drained. The Xochimilco-Chalco basin, once about 77 square miles (200 square kilometers) of marshes, swamps, and lagoons, was significantly reduced 85 years ago when drainage projects were completed. Though critically endangered in the wilderness, they are also taken as pets and live in laboratories around the world.

Hoover dining. Using a suction technique, the axolotl consumes worms, tadpoles, insects, and small fish. Gravel may also get inhaled, which helps grind up food in its belly (just as birds use grit to break down food for digestion).

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Lake view. The axolotl is lentic, meaning it inhabits still-water lakes. They occur in only two: Mexico’s Lake Xochimilco and Lake Chalco, where they are Critically Endangered due to pollution, habitat degradation, and water diversion from an ever-growing human population. While the axolotl retains larval characteristics into adulthood, it can be prompted into metamorphosis in a laboratory setting with the injection of hormones. It is said that this axolotls are over 1,000 times more resistant to cancer than mammals—another superpower worth investigating. Axolotl's have distinct feathery gills. The Spanish word for axolotl is ajolote, but is used colloquially in Mexico to encompass all forms of salamander. It is also called the Mexican walking fish (though it is not a fish at all). Naturally occurring in Lake Xochimilco and Lake Chalco in the southern Mexico City neighborhood of Xochimilco, these fascinating creatures are rarely seen in person.

Salamander superpowers. Axolotls are dark-colored and can shift their hue a few shades lighter or darker as needed for camouflage! Pink and light-colored axolotls are bred by humans as pets for their “pleasing” shades. That said, little information exists about the ecology of axolotl populations. This situation is surprising, given the popularity of the axolotl for scientific study. However, their small and generally inaccessible populations make it difficult to obtain information about their behavior. Shrouded in mystery, and defying typical biological laws like metamorphosis, the axolotl (pronounced AX-oh-lot-ul), a type of salamander, keeps its webbed feet firmly placed in infancy throughout its life.

The word “axolotl” comes from the Nahuatl language of the Aztecs, and means “water dog.” Its mythological connection is to Xolotl, the god of fire, lightning, deformities, and death.