[ak-suh-lot-l] 
| 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. |
| ax·o·lotl (āk'sə-lŏt'l) n. Any of several salamanders (genus Ambystoma) native to Mexico and the western United States that, unlike most amphibians, often retain their external gills and become sexually mature without undergoing metamorphosis. [Nahuatl.] |
axolotl
((Ambystoma, formerly Rhyacosiredon or Siredon, mexicanum), salamander of the family Ambystomatidae (order Caudata), notable for its permanent retention of larval features, such as external gills. It is found in lakes near Mexico City, where it is considered edible. The name axolotl is also applied to any full-grown larva of Ambystoma tigrinum (tiger salamander) that has not yet lost its external gills. A. mexicanum grows to about 25 cm (10 inches) long and is dark brown with black speckling. Both albino and white mutants, as well as other colour mutants, are common. The legs and feet are rather small, but the tail is long. A fin extends from the back of the head to the tip of the tail. A lower fin extends from between the hind legs to the tip of the tail
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