Description

Part of the order Sirenia which consists of the three species of Manatee: West Indian, West African and Amazonian, the dugong, and the extinct Steller’s sea cow

The West Indian Manatee consists of two subspecies: Florida and Caribbean

Most people in the U.S. know the Florida Manatee

Related to elephants and hyraxes

Large, gray colored, aquatic mammals

Can be 9 ft in length and can weigh between 880-1,210 lbs but can reach up to 15 ft in length and 3,913 lbs in weight

Can live up to 60 years in the wild

Have no natural predators but humans often accidentally injure or kill manatees with boats and also with loose nets, which manatees can get stuck in

Have a wrinkled head and face with whiskers on their snouts

Have a prehensile upper lip which is used for gathering food, eating and communication

Inside their mouths, manatees have four rows of 6-8 teeth on either side of their upper and lower jaws

Teeth do not have enamel so are constantly replaced, with the old ones falling out and the new ones sliding forward to take their place

Their eyes are small and widely spaced on their heads with eyelids that close in a circular pattern   

Behind their eyes, they have really small ear openings that lead to massive inner ears

Only have 6 cervical/ neck vertebrae compared to 7 in most other mammals

Have two front flippers with three to five nails on each flipper

Amazonian manatee has no nails on its flippers

Body tapers down to a paddle shaped tail that it uses to propel itself

Dugong has tail with two flukes like a whale as well as a longer snout

Habitat

Inhabit shallow, slow-moving rivers, estuaries, saltwater bays, canals and coastal areas of the Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico, Amazon Basin, and West Africa

Especially like to live where there are seagrass beds and an abundance of freshwater vegetation

Manatees are a migratory species so they migrate from colder temps to warmer temps since they can’t handle temps less than 68 degrees

West Indian: Florida subspecies live in Florida in the winter

Will often gather near hot water outputs of power plants such as Fort Myers power plant

In summer can be found as far west as Texas and as far north as Massachusetts but more common to see them in Alabama, Georgia, and South Carolina

Can also migrate as far south as Cuba

Caribbean subspecies is found in coastal and inland waterways of Central America and along the northern coast of South America

Amazonian: Inhabits Amazon river and tributaries

Never goes into salt water

West African: Found in coastal marine and estuarine habitats on the West Africa coast, and also in the freshwater river systems along the west coast which includes the Senegal River and south to the Cuanza River in Angola

Could also be found as far upriver on the Niger River as Koulikoro in Mali

Behavior

Manatees are diurnal which means they are active during the day

Very gentle and slow moving

Spend most of their time eating, sleeping or traveling

Mostly solitary

Manatees are herbivorous and eat over 60 varieties of freshwater and saltwater plants

Will also eat small fish and other invertebrates if they get stuck in the vegetation they eat

Will eat 10-15% of their body weight in the vegetation daily

When looking for food, manatee will use its flippers to walk on the bottom

If plants are detected, the manatee will scoop the vegetation to its mouth with its flippers

Then will use its prehensile upper lip along with its lower jaw and dense ridged pads on the roof of its mouth to rip apart the vegetation

Manatees are still mammals so they must come to the surface for air every 3-5 minutes

If they are using more energy, may resurface every 30 seconds

When resting, manatees can stay submerged for up to 20 minutes

Will rest on bottom or just below the surface

Usually swim between 3-5 mph but can swim 20 mph in short bursts

Manatees typically mate once every 2 years

Gestation is about a year

Typically give birth to one calf but twins can be born very rarely 

Calf nurses for 1-2 years

Fun Facts

Florida manatees can freely travel between fresh and saltwater

May have inspired the myth about mermaids

Oldest manatee was named Snooty and lived to be 69 years old

There are many rehab centers for manatees across the U.S. and the world

Include Lowry Park Zoo in Tampa, Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden, and Columbus Zoo and Aquarium

Florida manatees are protected under U.S. federal law through the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 and the Endangered Species Act of 1973 which makes it illegal to hunt, harass, capture or kill manatees and other marine mammals

Description

Only species of spoonbill native to the Western Hemisphere

Large wading bird

Can reach lengths o f 28-34 in and can weigh between 2.6-4 lbs

Also reach a height of 2.5 feet

Wingspan can reach up to 4 feet

Can live up to 10 years in the wild

Have a football shaped body

Covered with bright pink plumage on their wings and underside with a red patch on their wings

Have a white neck and back with a pale green bald head and red eyes

Most distinguishing feature is their spoon shaped bill

Can reach lengths between 5.7-7.1 inches

Use it scoop up organisms it eats which gives the pink color

Neck is very long and flies with it extended

Also has very long legs   

Habitat

Live in marsh-like areas and mangroves

Found in South America east of the Andes Mountains

Also found in coastal areas of the Caribbean, Central America, and Mexico

In U.S., found in Gulf Coast and from Florida to about Myrtle Beach in South Carolina 

Behavior

Roseate spoonbills are active during the day but mainly forage during the evenings

Primarily eat small fish, crustaceans and invertebrates

Forage for their food by walking through shallow muddy water with their bill partly open

Then when they find something, they will scoop it up with their bill and swallow it

Roseate spoonbills are very social

This means they like to roost, feed and fly in formation with others

Like to nest as colonies made up of mated pairs

Typically nest in mangroves or on islands

Don’t start breeding until their third year

During breeding season, the male brings the female nest building materials

Female will then build a large platform with a deep hollow in the center filled with twigs and leaves

Nest is typically 5-15 feet off the ground

The female when then lay a clutch of 1-5 eggs that are whitish with brown markings 

Incubation takes 22-24 days and both parents take turns sitting on the eggs to keep them warm

When chicks are hatched, they are light pink with white fluff

Parents will feed chicks by regurgitating food into the babies bill

After a month, the chicks will start exercising by climbing around their nest and flapping their wings

By 6 weeks, the chicks have developed their flight feathers and are ready to leave the nest

Fun Facts

Almost went extinct in 1800s due to hunting for pink plumage for use in hats

Male and females present sticks to each other at the end of their first courtship

Baby spoonbills don’t start out with a spoonbill

Roseate spoonbills lose feathers on their heads as they get older

One was spotted in Saline Michigan in the Koch Warner Drain on July 20th 2021

Either escaped from local zoo or is very confused 

Description

Medium sized pheasant shaped bird

Can reach 19-23 inches in length

Males can weigh 16.5-28.0 oz

Females can weigh 15.5-24.9 oz

Can live 8 years in the wild 

Head and neck are greyish in color

Head is very small with a short black bill

Neck is very long with a bare patch of skin that turns red during mating season

Body and wings are dull olive-brown

Has a light brownish yellow underbelly

Tail is blackish with a green gloss and a buff-white tip

Skin around eyes and legs are dull grey

Legs very similar to a turkey's legs

Also very long

Habitat

Live in scrubby forests and brushlands near sources of water

Can be found in the U.S. in the Lower Rio Grande valley

Is also found farther south on the Eastern coast of Mexico, Yucatan Peninsula,

Belize, northern Guatemala, northern Honduras, northern Nicaragua, and 

Northern Costa Rica on the Nicoya Peninsula

Behavior

Plain chachalacas are diurnal 

Active in morning and evening when it’s cool

Mostly eat berries, buds, leaves, and flowers

Will also eat insects if given the chance

Forage in groups of 4-6 by running along branches and through trees

Try to select ripest fruit so end up in precarious positions on thin branches

Which may include upside down

Usually found in groups of up to 15

During the day, pairs or groups will roost in the same tree

Generally face the same direction

Breeding occurs during the early wet season

Female will build nest in limbs or crook of tree 4-15’ off the ground

Could be as high as 35’

Nest is a flat platform made of sticks and other materials with a depression in the center

Female will lay 2-4 that are creamy white in color

Incubation lasts 25 days and only the female incubates the eggs

After hatching, both parents care for the chicks by regurgitating food into chicks mouth

Chicks can flutter short distances a few days after hatching and drying off

At about 2-3 weeks, chicks can fly up into brush and will be fully grown a few weeks later

Fun Facts

Related to quail, grouse, turkeys and pheasants

Also called the Mexican Tree Pheasant

Can fly but can’t sustain flight for very long

Have a very distinct call which I will play for you

This clip was recorded by Alfonso Auerbach in Honduras

I found it on www.xeno-canto.org which has recordings of many different birds

Feel free to check it out.

Description

Large flat bodied lizard with loose skin folds along the body

Reach an average length of 20 in and weight of about 2 lbs

Males are generally larger and heavier than the females

Also have a broader head

Coloration depends on: temperature, geography, and weather

Head is usually brown, grey, or yellow

Body is a lighter/more neutral color to provide camouflage in environment

Females and juveniles are lighter colored than the males

Body is covered with hard scales

The largest scales cover their ear openings

Also located between eyes and nose

Feet have 5 toes each

Tail is very thick and half the length of their bodies

Tapers down to a thin point 

Habitat

Found in deserts with lots of rock outcroppings and crevices to hide in and moderate vegetation

Includes western U.S. and northwestern Mexico

In the U.S., can be found in: Nevada, Utah, California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas

Also in parts of Colorado

In Mexico, can be found in: Sonora, Mexico, and Baja California

Behavior

Common chuckwallas are diurnal

In the mornings, common chuckwallas will emerge from their home and bask in the sun

Need to do this warm up

Afterwards, they will then forage for food

Typically will spend most of their days inside rock crevices 

Usually during the hottest and coldest times of the day

Active for about 8 hrs a day and most active between 9:15 a.m.-11:30 a.m.

Generally active from mid-March-mid-August

If food is scarce in summer, they will go through aestivation

Period when they are inactive for days or months at a time

May do something similar from November to mid-March

Called brumation

Common chuckwallas are primarily vegetarians 

Typically eat an array of leaves, buds, and fruits

Will sometimes eat insects if left no other options

Get most of their water from eating succulents

Can store water in lymph sacs in folds of skin on side of body

Also found in tail which fattens up when resources are plentiful

Then able to use stored resources when traditional resources are scare

Live in rock crevices

If chased by predator, common chuckwallas can wedge themselves into crevice

Then inflate their lungs using a gular pump so cannot be removed

Will then emerge once predator is gone

Predators include: coyotes, red-tailed hawks, American kestrels

Also Mojave rattlesnakes

Large males will often establish territories with the best habitat 

Includes most rock outcroppings

Leads to a hierarchy 

Males defend their territory through coloration and various displays

Includes: head bobbing, push ups, and mouth gaping

A last resort means two males will fight

Breeding occurs between April and August

However, only happens in years with abundant resources

Female will then lay 5-16 eggs underground

Typically in a crevice or burrow with a dry bottom

Gestation is 35 days

During incubation, the female will protect the eggs

However, after hatching, the babies are on their own

Only a few will reach adulthood and full size   

Fun Facts

Name is derived from Shoshone word 

Related to iguanas

Original scientific name is Sauromalus obesus

Translated to fat, flat lizard

Current name is Sauromalus ater

Translates to dark/black flat lizard

Description

Semi-aquatic rodent of unusual size that looks like a smaller beaver with a rounded tail

Reach body length of up to 2 ft with a tail length of 1-1.5 ft and reach weights between 9-20 lbs

Can live up to 6.5 years in the wild

Covered in coarse fur that is light to dark brown in color with soft dense grey underfur

Have a white patch on the muzzle along with white whiskers

Teeth are large and orange just like a beaver’s

Back is arched which is one way to tell it apart from Beavers and Muskrats

Has five toes on each foot and back feet are webbed for swimming

Tail is long and rounded

Often mistaken for muskrats but are easy to tell apart with certain characteristics

Nutrias are almost 5 times bigger than muskrats, have rounded tails instead of flat, have an arched back, have white whiskers and found in warmer climates 

Habitat

Found near permanent sources of water such as: rivers, streams, ponds, lakes and wetlands.

Will also live in brackish coastal waters

Also like really warm climates

Native to the marshes and coastal lakes of Bolivia and Brazil

Nutria farms were created to increase fur production since they almost went extinct in their native range

First attempt was in France in the 1880’s but was not successful

Introduced to the U.S. in 1899 in the state of California for harvesting of their fur but this was unsuccessful

Eventually the farmers were able to get these nutria farms up and running, especially in 1930 in Louisiana

Soon there were nutria farms all over the U.S. as well as Europe and Asia

Unfortunately, the fur trade collapsed in the 1930s so many nutrias were released

They began to thrive, survive and multiply in these non-native places and became an invasive species

Currently they are found in coastal areas and the southern United States

Nutrias are very destructive to native swaps by eating lots of plants and eating the whole plant, including the roots, which makes it hard for the marshes to survive

They also carry tuberculosis and several parasites, such as liver flukes and a tapeworm which is harmful to humans and animals

Luckily people are trying to prevent the problem from getting worse by hunting, trapping, or preventing them from building burrows

Behavior

Nutria are diurnal and forage during the day

They are very voracious eaters and feed year round

Will consume about 25% of their weight in a day

They are primarily herbivores but will eat some small invertebrates

Mostly eat wetland plants but will also eat any plants they can get their paws on including crops

Unfortunately, they eat the whole plant, including the roots, which prevents them from growing back

To get to the roots of the plants, they will dig through the soil which contributes to erosion

Speaking of erosion, nutria live in burrows near bodies of water and often connect several with a tunnel system which often cut through levees as well as floatation supports for docks and also under roads

Nutria do have predators in both their native and non-native ranges

These include: humans, cottonmouths, alligators, garfish, bald eagles, other birds of prey, turtles, and several other mammalian predators

Typically live in groups of 2-13 individuals

Often includes related adult females, their offspring, and one adult male

Males typically have a range of 14 acres and females have a range of about 6 acres

Nutria breed year round and can have upto 3 litters of 2-13 babies each which rapidly expands the population

They reach sexual maturity by 4-6 months and can give birth to their first litter at 8 months

Females can also breed 1-2 days after giving birth

Speaking of that, gestation lasts about 4 months and the babies are born fully furred and with their eyes open so they could survive on their own as young as 5 days old

However, they usually nurse for about 7-8 weeks and then go off on their own at about 10 weeks 

Fun Facts

Known as swamp beaver or coypu which comes from its scientific name Myocastor coypus

The tapeworm they carry causes a rash known as “nutria itch”

My grandpa sold nutrias to farmers as an investment when he was young

He also served in the Air Force as a photographer during the end of the Korean War, along with working as a dictaphone repairman, being a director in the YMCA in the Chicago area, and eventually running his own business

The most important role he took on was being a great husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather 

He accomplished a lot in 92 years of life and I enjoyed spending time with him over the years

He was a great man and my whole family will miss him dearly

Description

Large type of brown bear

Two subspecies in North America: Kodiak Grizzlies, found only on the Kodiak archipelago, and just plain old Grizzly Bears which are found everywhere else

Can reach an average length of 6.5 ft with a shoulder height 3.35 ft

Usually weigh upwards of 700 lbs

Males are generally larger than the females and can reach weights of up to 1,700 lbs depending on where they live

Females on the other hand, can reach weights of up to 800 lbs again depending on where they live

Males can live about 22 years and females usually live longer than the males at about 26 years

Covered in very thick fur that can range in color from blond to nearly black, though are usually brown with darker colored legs and commonly white or blond tipped fur on their sides and back

In the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, they often have a light-brown girth band

Grizzlies have a dished in face or concave like face with short, rounded ears

On their backs, they have a large muscular hump 

This hump is a mass of muscles attached to the backbone which give them extra strength for digging and running

Speaking of running, they can run up to 35 mph for short distances

They have incredibly long claws which can reach lengths of 2-4 inches which help them with digging

Their rumps are lower than their shoulders

Habitat

Typically found in woodlands, forests, alpine meadows, prairies, and also riparian areas near rivers and streams

Current range in North America includes Alaska, most of western Canada, and parts of the northwestern United States with the southernmost points of their range being Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks

In Canada, they can be found in British Columbia, Alberta, the Yukon, the Northwest Territories, Nunavut, and northern Manitoba

In the U.S., they can be found in Alaska as stated before as well as Washington, Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming

They can also be found in Europe and Asia, where it is just called a brown bear

Their previous North American range was from Alaska all the way down to Mexico and as far east as the western shores of the Hudson Bay

There are about 55,000 bears in North America of which 30,000 are found in Alaska alone

Behavior

Grizzlies are typically diurnal and forage during the day

They are omnivores so they can eat both plants and animals

Their diets also vary depending on the season and where they live

The most common plants/ parts of plants eaten are: fleshy roots, fruits, berries, grasses, forbs, whitebark pine nuts, and tubers

They eat lots of animals

These include: salmon, trout, bass, clams, moose, elk, caribou, white-tailed deer, mule deer, bighorn sheep, bison, sometimes muskox, various rodents such as marmots, ground squirrels, lemmings, voles, and carrion which on the coast could include dead whales, seals and sea lions

Grizzlies are mostly solitary but will come together to breed or if there is a large supply of food like during the salmon run

Males typically have home ranges between 800-2,000 square miles and females have home ranges between 300-550 square miles

Like many bear species, during the winter months, grizzly bears will hibernate for 5-7 months

During the summer and fall, they will eat as much food as they can to build up their fat reserves since they don’t eat during the hibernation period and can often gain up to 400 lbs during this period known as hyperphagia

They will also dig a den to sleep in during the winter

These dens are usually only big enough for the bear to squeeze in to preserve warmth and the floor is usually lined with bedding of some kind which also preserves the warmth

After the winter comes, grizzlies will enter their dens and hibernate

During this period, they will reduce their heart rate, lower their temperature and metabolic rate and live off their fat stores

They will also not urinate or defecate during this period as well

They will then leave their dens when the temperature warms up

Hibernation is when the female grizzlies or sows give birth to their cubs

Mating generally occurs during the spring and summer and the females can mate with multiple males during this period.

Once the female becomes pregnant, the embryo goes through a process called delayed implantation where it stops developing for several months until the female hibernates

This happens because if the female can’t build up enough fat during hyperphagia, then a miscarriage occurs but gives the female a head start to put on enough weight for next year to give birth to cubs

If the female is successful in putting on enough weight, then during hibernation the development continues and gestation begins which can last between 180-250 days

The cubs are then born in January or February and there can be between 1-4 cubs but two is a common number

Females will care for their cubs in their den until spring when they will leave the den

The cubs continue to nurse and drink milk until summer when they start eating solid food but still drink milk

They will stay with their mother for two more years where she will continue to protect them

Eventually they will leave and go off on their own

Fun Facts

Get their name because their fur is usually tipped with white which gives them a grizzled look

Coastal grizzlies are usually bigger than their inland cousins due to the variation in their diets

California used to have a subspecies of grizzly bear and even have it on their state flag but there hasn’t been a California Grizzly Bear in the state since the last one was killed in the 1920’s

The urea they produce during the fat metabolism process is usually fatal but grizzlies are able to break it down and use the resulting nitrogen to maintain their muscle mass and organ tissue

Description

One of three species of flying squirrel in North America

The other two species are the Northern Flying Squirrel and Humboldt’s Flying Squirrel

A more accurate name would be a gliding squirrel since they glide instead of fly

Southern flying squirrels can reach lengths between 8-10 inches and their tails can be between 3-4 inches in length

Weight can be up to 90 grams

Can live 3-5 years in the wild

Body is covered in grey brown fur with darker sides and a cream colored underbelly

Their ears are small with pink hairless insides

They have very large eyes relative to their body size which are surrounded by darker colored fur

Inside their mouth, you can find 22 teeth

Their front and back feet are about the same size but the front feet have five claws and their back feet only have four

Their tail is large and flattened to help with gliding

In between their front and back legs on either side is a furry membrane called a patagium which the southern flying squirrel extends to glide from place to place

Habitat

Found in deciduous, conifer and mixed forests

Favorite tree species are maple, beech, poplar, oak, hickory and other seed producing hardwoods

Range is from Southeastern Canada to the Eastern United States as well as parts of Mexico and Honduras

Behavior

Southern flying squirrels are nocturnal and highly social animals

They spend most of their time in trees but sometimes may go down to the ground to forage

They are also omnivores

Their consists of many different things such as: seeds, nuts, fungi, fruit and insects as well as eggs, birds, and carrion occasionally

They can often be found in large groups that fly and forage together

They also often gather in large numbers inside dens, especially during the winter months to conserve heat

These dens can be tree snags, woodpecker holes, nest boxes and abandoned nests of birds and other squirrels

Southern flying squirrels have somewhat large home ranges with females having ranges that are about 4050 square meters and males having ranges of about 6000 square meters

Females are very territorial and will aggressively defend their home ranges from other females, especially during mating season and if there are babies present

This means that females home ranges do not overlap with other females

Males are not very aggressive and their home ranges often overlap with the home ranges of other males and females as well

Both males and females have really good homing capabilities and can very easily find their way back home

Even though they are called flying squirrels, they actually glide as stated in the description

To do this, they climb really high up in the tree and they move their heads and bodies from side to side to triangulate where they want to go

Then they do a running start or fling themselves into the air from a stationary position

Next they extend their arms and legs to pop open the patagium to catch the air and glide at angles of 30-40 degrees

They can maneuver quite well when gliding to avoid obstacles like branches and they can make 90 degree turns to do so

Southern flying squirrels can glide over 150 feet but oftentimes their glides are shorter than that

Finally, when they are reaching their destination, they flip up their tails to raise their front end up and cause their patagium to act as a parachute to absorb some of landing shock with their legs absorbing the rest of it

After landing on the tree, they run quickly around the other side of it or up to the top to avoid any predators that may have followed them

Speaking of predators, the main ones of the southern flying squirrel are: owls, hawks, black rat snakes, other snakes, bobcats, raccoons, and domestic cats

Southern flying squirrels mate twice during the year, the spring season from February to March and the summer season from May to July

They will often mate with multiple individuals over their lifetimes and the males will leave after mating, leaving the female to care for the babies herself

Females typically give birth to 2-7 babies after a 40 day gestation period

The babies are born without fur and are very helpless for quite awhile

Mothers will nurse their babies for 6 weeks and by 8 weeks, the babies are able to fend for themselves but oftentimes stay with their mother until her next litter

Southern flying squirrels communicate in several different ways including ultrasonic communication and several other noises

Fun Facts

Can hoard up to 15,000 nuts in one season

Exposure to southern flying squirrels has been linked to cases of epidemic typhus in humans which is known as sylvatic typhus which is very rare so observe these animals at a distance

Look very similar to Sugar Gliders found in Australia but southern flying squirrels are rodents and sugar gliders are marsupials

There is a minor league baseball affiliate of the San Francisco Giants called the Richmond Flying Squirrels whose mascot, name, and logo are based on the Southern Flying Squirrel

In the games Pokemon Black and White which is themed around the eastern United States, there is a Pokemon named Emolga that was based on the southern flying squirrel

Rocket J Squirrel from the show Rocky and Bullwinkle is a flying squirrel

Sources 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_flying_squirrel

https://www.nwf.org/educational-resources/wildlife-guide/mammals/flying-squirrels

https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Glaucomys_volans/

https://animalia.bio/southern-flying-squirrel

Description

Type of salamander that doesn’t go through the metamorphosis that most amphibians go through when they become adults

Can reach lengths of 6-18 inches and weights between 2-8 ounces

Typically live about 10-15 years

Their heads are flat and wide with eyes without eyelids

Their legs are underdeveloped with really long digits

They also have characteristics of salamanders in the larval stage such as a tail and body fin

 Axolotls do develop lungs but they rely on feathery external gills to breathe underwater

They also have vestigial teeth but their main method of feeding is to close their gills and suction up their prey

Axolotls in the wild are typically tan/brown with speckles and an olive underbelly

However, they can have mutations in their color genes which can lead to many interesting colorings including: Leucistic which is pink coloring with black eyes, golden albino which is gold coloring with gold eyes, xanthic which is gray coloring with black eyes, albino which is pale pink or white coloring with pink eyes, and melanoid or melanistic which is all black coloring

Habitat

Found in still-water lakes in Mexico

Range is now only in the canals of Lake Xochimilco.  They also used to be found in Lake Chalco but that lake has been drained for flood prevention measures

Behavior

During the day axolotls will bury themselves in mud or thick vegetation to avoid being eaten by larger fish like tilapia or herons and storks

At night is when they are most active and hungry

They are effective predators using smell to locate their prey and using suction to gulp it up

Axolotls will eat almost anything they can suction up including but not limited to: worms, mollusks, crustaceans, insect larvae, tadpoles, and even small fish

Breeding season occurs between March and June

During the mating ritual, the male and female do a mating dance and eventually the eggs become fertilized

Females can carry between 300-1000 eggs and she usually lays them in hidden places so that some of the babies can survive

Two weeks later, the babies hatch and are off into the world where they may or may not grow into adults

Fun Facts

Related to Tiger Salamanders

Can slightly change their skin hue lighter or darker for camouflage 

Have the ability to regenerate almost every part of their bodies including parts of their brain

May be up to a 1,000 times more resistant to cancer than mammals

They lack the thyroid stimulating hormone that most other amphibians possess that helps them develop into adults that live on land so they look like immature amphibians even though they are adults

Axolotls can go through the metamorphosis that other amphibians go through if they are exposed to the hormone through an external source.  However, this could end badly if not done correctly so it is not recommended if you have one as a pet  

An axolotl is featured on the Mexican 50 peso note

The word axolotl comes from the Nahuatl language of the Aztecs and means water dog

This name came about from the myth of the god Xolotl who was the Aztec god of twilight, twins, monstrosities, misfortunes, sickness, and deformities as well as a god of fire and lightning.  He was also a soul-guide to the land of the dead and was typically depicted as a dog-headed man

In this myth, the fifth sun aka the world we are living on currently was created and the gods wanted to create humanity but could only do that by having some of them sacrifice themselves

However, Xolotl did not want to be sacrificed so he used his shapeshifting abilities to become a couple types of plants before becoming an axolotl but he was still caught and sacrificed anyways

This worked out for him in the end because he now gets to help lead the sun through the land of the dead to help the sun be reborn every day

His name is also where the name of the Mexican hairless dog, affectionately called the Xolo, comes from

Sources 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Axolotl

https://animals.sandiegozoo.org/animals/axolotl

https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/axolotls-amphibians-that-never-grow-up.html

https://globalpressjournal.com/americas/mexico/meet-surprising-star-mexicos-new-bank-note/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xolotl

https://historycooperative.org/xolotl/