Xólotl

The axolotl (ajolote) is a salamander native to the lake system of Xochimilco, in Mexico City, famous for keeping its larval features all its life and for its ability to regenerate limbs. In Aztec myth, the god Xólotl, twin of Quetzalcóatl, transformed himself into an axolotl to escape being sacrificed, which is why the animal is linked to him.

Today the axolotl is critically endangered in the wild, but it has become a beloved national symbol and even appears on Mexico’s 50-peso banknote.