Last year, it was the axolotl that took pride of place on many products, and the endangered amphibian remains popular. Owls, hedgehogs, foxes and sloths also had recent turns in the spotlight.

MEXICO CITY — Legend has it the axolotl was not always an amphibian. Long before it became Mexico’s most beloved salamander and efforts to prevent its extinction flourished, it was a sneaky god.

CHICO — This year for Christmas, Cecilia Dillard asked Santa for a rainbow axolotl, a type of salamander, at the Chico Marketplace Santa Arrival event on Saturday. “I love Christmas Eve ...