November 12, 2024
Alex Martin/Journal and Courier via USA TODAY NETWORK
The Philadelphia Zoo just added an axolotl named Maxalotl to its Amphibians and Reptile House. Above, an axolotl in Lafayette, Indiana.
As the Andean bear moves out of the Philadelphia Zoo, a new arrival is calling the park home.
An axolotl, a type of salamander that's become a pop culture phenomenon, is now on display at the Reptile and Amphibian House, the zoo announced Monday. The creature named Maxolotl was donated from the Detroit Zoo and is under a year old.
While Camden's Adventure Aquarium has had the amphibians on display for years, this is the Philadelphia Zoo's first time housing the animals.
Axolotls are native to Mexico City and live exclusively in two freshwater lakes. They're critically endangered due to habitat loss, with only a handful left in the wild, but they are bred in captivity and are kept as pets. They can regrow injured limbs, making them a favorite for scientists to study. Unlike other types of salamanders, which start off life in the water but eventually move to land, axolotls spend their whole life as an aquatic animal in a tadpole-like form.
The reveal you've all been waiting for...Meet Maxolotl the axolotl!!
— Philly Zoo (@phillyzoo) November 12, 2024
Unlike most amphibians, axolotls remain aquatic their entire lives and can only be found in Mexico. This species also has the astonishing ability to regenerate their limbs and their organs! pic.twitter.com/JVRDKg2kB1
Like Maxolotl, the species is usually brown or green in the wild, but they can be light pick with darker pink gills around their face or a yellow-gold color.
Over the years, axolotls have made numerous appearances in popular culture. Toothless, the lovable creature in DreamWorks' 2010 film "How to Train Your Dragon," was partially inspired by an axolotl, and there's a Pokemon that resembles the salamander.
But axolotls grew in popularity after they were introduced into the video game Minecraft in 2021. Now, plushies of the animal grace the shelves of department stores, and kids can make one at Build-A-Bear Workshops. The amphibians also won a vote to be a mascot for the Girl Scouts.
