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| An axolotl in Lake Xochimilco, Mexico —See this article on Axolotls, published this week, which inspired me to look up more information about them. |
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| An axolotl on a 50 peso note (source) The image is based on a mural by Diego Rivera. |
Everyone loves the smiling face of the axolotl, a type of salamander that lives in a small number of waterways in Mexico City. Very few axolotls survive in the wild — it’s an endangered species. One of them lives in a special axolotl museum in Mexico City called Axolotitlán. They are relatively widely available as pets in the US, though prohibited in some states. Axolotls are not very cuddly as their bones are fragile, so they shouldn’t be handled, only admired in an aquarium. Quite a few children’s books and toys represent these appealing critters. For more info: a detailed article about them appeared in Smithsonian a few years ago.
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| One of many kids’ books about axolotls. |
What, Me Worry?
If you were a fan of Mad Magazine in its glory years, you may remember the poem by Alfred E. Neuman.
Axolotls
I wandered lonely as a clod,
Picking up old rags and bottles,
When onward on my daily plod
I came upon some axolotls
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
A sight to make a man's blood freeze.
Some had handles, some were plain—
Skins green and orange, in the main.
My hair stood up, my blood ran cold.
I fled with fear upon my soul.
I find my solace now in bottles,
and I forget them axolotls.
—Alfred E. Neuman
Photos as credited, text © 2026 mae sander
16 comments:
They look pretty cool. Though to me, not a proper pet. Still, quite nice. Very cute.
What a fun post. They are definitely cute amphibians, but too bad they are endangered. Have a super weekend and stay warm.
Loved this! Especially that poem.
Hello,
What a strange looking salamander, it is kind of cute.
The mural is awesome, great photos and critter post.
Thank you for linking up and sharing your post. Take care, have a great weekend. PS, thank you for leaving me a comment.
I would love to see one. Another endangered species, so maybe there’s not much time.
Axolotls are really cute; I don't think I've ever seen one even in an aquarium, actually. I had no idea they were featured on any bank notes!
These are seriously cute! And thanks for sharing the poem. I loved Mad Magazine!
The axolotl was a popular choice at my elementary school for a research topic. I've read a bit on worries about this animal in the wild.
I like seeing your post today about the axolotl.
They're incredible looking animals.
The first time I saw one of these was at an authentic Mexican restaurant. Yes, I remember Mad!
Interesting post. They seem to be getting more popular. I am hearing about them more. Have a great week and stay warm!
Thank you so much for your lovely blog. I had never seen or even heard of an axolotl before! I’m not sure I pronounce the name correctly, but I find this little creature fascinating. I didn’t know it’s an endangered species either — so I learned something new today.
It looks so unusual and beautiful that I even wondered for a moment if it was real. What a special animal. Thank you for sharing this. I really enjoyed reading your post.
My daughter and I went to Mexico for a little over a week and we loved it. We were walking from the beach to where they had a flea market of homemade items. There was an axolotl on the sidewalk from the beach and we had no idea what it was. We did know that it was weird looking, but the more we looked at it the cuter it became.
they are so very cute!
The Neuman poem gave me a good laugh! It’s a fun contrast to how endangered and fragile these little water monsters actually are.
That smile, though! Sounds like we should stick to snuggling the stuffies of axolotl. I wasn't sure if they were made up or not when I first saw stuff years ago. Thanks for sharing!
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