The axolotl is native exclusively to the freshwaters of Lake Xochimilco and Lake Chalco, both in Mexico. Lake Chalco has been drained since the 1860s and Lake Xochimilco is now a remnant of its former self, having been converted mostly into canals by the expansion of Mexico City. Lake Xochimilco typically ranges from 43 - 68 °F, with heavy rainfall throughout the summer and a large variety of underwater foliage, such as southern cattails.
In their native habitats, axolotls have a mutualistic relationship with algae, the algae providing shade and the axolotl filtering oxygen. They also face competition from invasive fish species, such as tilapia and carp.
Evolution has bred axolotls to be capable of many things, such as regenerating their limbs. They also typically have colors that allow them to blend in with their environment, as well as the ability to maintain their tails through development to swim faster. Axolotls have developed the instinct over time to surface to gulp or release air as a way to adjust their bouancy. On top of this, they will hide in vegetation to avoid being eaten and utilize chemical cues to distinguish the sex of potential partners.
| classification | description | Eukaryota | eukaryotes - organisms whose cells have nuclei |
|---|---|
| Animalia | animals - organisms that consume organic material, breathe oxygen, can move, reproduce, and grow from the blastula |
| Chordata | chordates - animals that, at some point in their life, have a notochord, a hollow dorsal nerve cord, an endostyle or thyroid, pharyngeal slits, and a post-anal tail |
| Amphibia | amphibians - ectothermic, anamniotic, four-limbed vertebrate |
| Urodela | salamanders - lizard-like amphibians |
| Ambystomatidae | a salamander family |
| Ambystoma | mole salamanders - a salamander group |
| A. mexicanum | axolotls |
Tiger salamanders (Ambystoma tigrinum) are another member of the genus Ambystoma, and share some characteristics with axolotls. As salamanders, they share a similar size and shape, but the tiger salamanders are terrestrial and live in a much wider variety of areas.