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In this entry number 29 from Amazing nature, I bring you a little bit about an incredible but strange creature that seems to be taken from an animated series or science fiction, confused with a fish for its almost identical shape, except that this animal has legs. What? Well, as you have read, it looks like a fish, but with legs. Join me in this publication to see what this curious and famous creature is all about.

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Its original name is Axolote, an amphibian, but if we look at it from a scientific point of view, this animal is really an unmetamorphosed larva of the Mexican salamander. This phenomenon is known as neoteny and consists of this little animal retaining the dorsal fin of the tadpole. And, among other rarities, it has its external gills located on its head.
They are what comes out of its head and floats.

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This strange salamander is located only and exclusively in the lakes of Xochimilco, very close to Mexico City, what differs from the common salamanders and newts is that it lives all the time underwater. Although at times they come to the surface, it spends almost the entirety of its life submerged.

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Popularly people are fond of this species and have nicknamed it "the fish that walks" although it is not a fish it looks very much like. In fact, its body is almost identical to that of fish, it is cartilaginous, accompanied by strong jaws and teeth to easily catch and devour its prey among which it usually hunts fish and mollusks.

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One of the coolest things the Axolote can have is its capacity to regenerate itself, it can regenerate some of its extremities if it has lost them in some battle and it can incredibly regenerate organs such as the kidney, heart or lungs. We are currently studying your DNA in order to find clues that lead to knowing ways to regenerate the human body. Amazing, isn't it?

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Despite being in danger of extinction is an animal that usually lays about 300 to 1000 eggs so their future generations should not worry, apart is the only animal that can reproduce in the larval state.

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If this strange animal has resembled you to a doll of the famous animated series Pokemon then let me say that you guessed right. So the creators of the series were inspired by this salamander to give life to the water Pokemon called Wooper.

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As an adult, the ajolote can reach a length of up to 30 cm, and weigh more than 300 grams, making it a well-sized amphibian. It tends to have a light cream coloration of a cinnamon, being in captivity; and a black - mottled green coloration, being in its natural environment. But it can also appear cinnamon, gray, brown, albino or even transparent (so one can see their internal organs). If properly cared for, it can live for up to 12 years.

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Ajolote is also alive and well in laboratories all over the world, and is a basic element of the exotic pet trade.

It can live more than 20 years and normally grows to just under 30 cm in length.

Curious fact: Ajolote is known for swallowing small gravel stones, which help the creature maintain its buoyancy in the water. In the absence of small pebbles, the creature consumes other small objects in the water, such as plastic, which can be very harmful to its health.

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If you visit Mexico, don't forget to visit the wild area where this peculiar little friend is found.

Thank you for reading

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