Axolotl Ambystoma Mexicanum by Zach
Axolotl is pronounced Axe-oh-lot-l .
Please help us Axolotls We are being eaten up like enchiladas. We need your help. We need it fast. We need your help to help us last. With our feather duster gills And happy little faces We don’t want all your bills And you destroying all our bases. We can regrow our body parts, But we cannot regrow our life. So leave us to our growing arts, And don’t even touch that knife! Could you please just listen! We have no defense techniques. So please sooth your ambition, And don’t make our lake have many leaks. We need support of many people, not your sword ‘cause that is lethal. We need all the help that we can get. Without your help, you’ll soon forget The axolotls, a proud race. Without us, Earth will have a whole new face. So please help us, even if it’s only a few We can change this world, and it starts with you.
Axolotls, also known as the walking fish, but not to be confused with Mudpuppies, or the spawn of tiger salamanders, are very cool, but lesser known than the Mudpuppies. They are also close relatives to the tiger salamander ( Ambystoma tigrinum) . They can regrow most limbs, and even some organs, such as the brain, which makes them a key tool in scientific research. Axolotls are endangered because their habitat is disappearing, but scientists are making an effort to bring them back. Their habitat is in Lake Xochimilco, Mexico City. They are amphibians which is amazing because they always stay in their larval form. This is an example of neoteny, or the adult retaining features of its juvenile (larval) state. Interestingly, when given a shot of iodine, a chemical element with the atomic number 53, axolotls can grow up where they turn into something quite similar to the tiger salamander. Unfortunately, they only live for about a year after the change, or even less if the iodine is improperly dosed.
They come in many colors such as grey, brown, albino, and golden albino. Albino axolotls are more common than in any other species, but only when bred in captivity. They have gills that look like feather dusters and stick out of their face. Axolotls grow up to a foot. They also have legs and webbed feet with five toes on their back feet and four on their front. They are named after Xolotl, the Aztec god of deformations and death. I think this is weird, because really, that thing is cute ! Amazingly, the axolotl has no defense mechanisms. They are popular pets. Their diet contains insects, worms, and small fish.
What We Can Do To Help ● We can breed them and release them into the wild. ● We can restore the state of Lake Xochimilco. ● We can inspire people to make a change through things like this article. ● You can share this with your friends to raise awareness. ● You can start a website or make posters. ● You can donate to sites such as www.caudata.org . ● You can inspire people to make a change. ● You can make an organization. ● You can even do things as simple as tell your friends. ● You can make catchy tunes that get stuck in people’s head that this endangered species needs human help.
Bibliography "Mexican Axolotl: Ambystoma Mexicanum." National Geographic Animals . National Geographic, 2015. Web. 3 Feb. 2015. < http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/amphibians/axolotl/?source=AtoZ >. Johnson, J.R. “Axolotl,” World Book Student , World Book, Chicago, 5 February 2015, < http://www.worldbookonline.com/student/article?id=ar753766 >. Clare, John P. "Axolotls: The Fascinating Mexican Axolotl and the Tiger Salamander." Axolotls . Caudata.org, 2012. Web. 6 Feb. 2015. < http://www.axolotl.org/ >. InglisArkell, Esther. "Scientists Show that Peter Pan Grows Up with a Shot of Iodine." io9: We come From The Future . io9, 2 Aug. 2011. Web. 6 Mar. 2015. < http://io9.com/5826750/scientistsshowthatpeterpangrowsupwithashotofiodine >