axolotl

American  

[ak-suh-lot-l] / ˈæk səˌlɒt l /

noun

1. any of several salamanders of the genus Ambystoma that inhabit lakes and ponds of Mexico and remain in the larval stage as sexually mature adults.

---

axolotl British  

/ ˈæksəˌlɒtəl /

noun

1. any of several aquatic salamanders of the North American genus Ambystoma, esp A. mexicanum ( Mexican axolotl ), in which the larval form (including external gills) is retained throughout life under natural conditions (see neoteny ): family Ambystomidae

2. any of various other North American salamanders in which neoteny occurs or is induced

---

Etymology

Origin of axolotl

1780–90; < Nahuatl āxōlōtl, equivalent to ā ( tl ) water + xōlōtl page, male servant

Example Sentences

Mexicans have plenty of spiritual animalistic icons and regional exclusives that make sense, from the endangered axolotl salamander to Xoloitzcuintle, a hairless dog.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 16, 2026

“They have gills that help them breathe underwater,” she explained, holding a microphone next to the tank, adding that the axolotl can change colors to hide.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 21, 2025

The monitoring also revealed intriguing insights into axolotl behaviour.

From BBC • Apr. 30, 2025

The Mexican axolotl — a dusky amphibian with the remarkable habit of neoteny, or retaining its juvenile body type all its life — once thrived in these canals.

From New York Times • Dec. 5, 2023

Now it has been stated that in the lakes near Mexico City, where it was first discovered, the axolotl never transforms into an Amblystoma.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 3, Part 1, Slice 1 "Austria, Lower" to "Bacon" by Various