Did you know

Plagued by polluted water, predatory fish and the steady encroachment of one of the world’s biggest megacities, Mexico’s axolotl salamander the tiny amphibian steeped in mythological lore has all but disappeared from its home in the muddy canals of southern Mexico City.

Modern research into the axolotl began in 1864, after a shipment of 34 arrived in Paris from Mexico. Thousands more were then bred as scientists across Europe marvelled at their strange appearance and ability to breathe with both lungs and gills.