AXOLOTL: The Little Pink Peter Pan
My daughter: “Mom, can I get an axolotl?”
Me: “What the heck is an axolotl?"
My daughter: “It’s a cute little pink squishy thing.”
Me (thoroughly confused): “but what is it?”
My daughter: “I don’t know, look it up!”
Me: “You don’t even know what it is and you want it for a pet?! No, I don’t think so.”
And that was the end of our axolotl conversation. Or so I thought.
Later, she asked me for an Squishmallow axolotl doll. Then, my son received a gift and it was a Minecraft axolotl toy figure.
What is going on?!!!
What were these axolotls permeating their way into my life?!!!
What is an axolotl?
They are little salamanders found in Mexico, in a lake called Lake Xochimilco. Being Mexican-American, I was kind of excited that these little guys and I have the same ethnicity.
You go axolotl! Represent our people! 😆
Now there is something very unique about the axolotl that separates them from other salamanders, which explains why all these kids, like my daughter, think they’re so cute.
Normal salamanders go through metamorphosis: think of the way a tadpole turns in to a frog. Axolotls do not go through this process. This means they have to live in water, unlike other salamanders.
Although they do mature and are able to breed, they stay looking like a young tadpole, keeping their frilly gills.
Thus, making them the Peter Pan of salamanders.
The coloring of the axolotl is black, but there are some with reduced pigment that makes them pink. Of course, little pink salamanders are the perfect color to grab the attention of little girls. SO DARN CUTE! 🥹
How did a little Mexican salamander take the world by storm?
Well, unless you live under a rock, you most likely have heard of Minecraft, Fortnite, or Pokemon. All three of these brands, have axolotl characters either in their game or toys.
Both my children play Minecraft and yell across the house for me to come see their little pet Axolotls in their Minecraft world they’ve created.
My daughter has axolotl accessories: pens, dolls, bags, journals. This prompted her to ask me for axolotl stickers.
That’s also a new trend: putting cool stickers on your water bottle or laptop. It's like the bumper sticker for a new generation. It’s interesting that this is trending amongst both adults and kids right now.
Time To Get an Axolotl as Pet . . . Not So Fast.
My daughter let me know after our first Axolotl conversation that one of her classmates has an axolotl as a pet. I looked into it, just out of curiosity. NO, I AM NOT getting one! (I can barely handle my kids, dog, and husband.)
It doesn’t seem like too much maintenance, but keeping the water temperature between 50-60 degrees can be tricky. Not to mention having to keep them somewhere away from sunlight. It can involve evaporative cooling, water filters, or even ice packs.
But, if you are still not deterred by the info provided above, then consider their breeding habits. Some axolotl owners in New Zealand are learning the hard way.
Excerpt from The Guardian:
[Amelia Seales, who runs an amphibian, reptile and animal rescue in Dunedin [New Zealand], said she now had 2,000 axolotls in her care, after 600 of the creatures had arrived last week.
Seales said some inexperienced owners were failing to desex their pets or accidentally placing breeding pairs together in tanks. The amorous amphibians ended up “having accidental clutches and [owners are] not knowing what to do with the eggs … then ending up with literally thousands of them and not being able to find them a home,” she said.]
When I read this article, I almost fell off my chair. Can you imagine?!!!
That's a LOTL axolotl! (I apologize for that one.)😁
Nope, nope, nope.
Confession: I gave axolotl ownership a serious thought, I really did . . .
but after reading the care and maintenance, and that crazy breeding article, I am going to pass on my little pink, Mexican compatriot.
This family will stick to axolotl Squishmallows, pens, stationary, toy figures, and watching them live their best lives in Minecraft. And leave the salamanders to the pros and more daring parents.
What I have no problem doing is creating cute stickers for my daughter’s water bottle. I will continue to mass produce axolotl stickers: just like the axolotls breeding in New Zealand!