Good morning! I’m Mushy and I’m here to teach you about axolotls! We are amphibians. Most amphibians have gills as youngsters and undergo metamorphosis to develop lungs as adults. In fact, “amphibian” means “double life” referring to aquatic life with gills and terrestrial life with lungs. Anywho, axolotls develop lungs but, unlike most amphibians, we keep our gills for our entire lives! We are considered neotenic, meaning we keep juvenile characteristics into adulthood. We are also able to regenerate lost limbs, further helping us to maintain our youthful appearance! 👶
(📷: Zookeeper Gabbie)
