From TikTok to McDonald’s Happy Meals, Mexico’s ancient axolotl is everywhere, except where it is supposed to be—in the wild.

Axolotls are a type of salamander native to Mexico. In recent years, they have risen to popularity due to their inclusion in ...

XOCHIMILCO, Mexico—A homely aquatic salamander with a cartoonish smile ... and inspiring a McDonald’s Happy Meal toy. Where the axolotl can barely be found: in its natural habitat in Mexico.

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.

The Aztecs, or Mexicas, as they called themselves, believed the axolotl to be a living spiritual representation of its namesake the god Xolotl, and used the salamander for food and medicine.

Meet the axolotl, Mexico City’s endangered, smiling salamander. In the southern part of Mexico City lies Xochimilco, a maze of canals filled with boats, music, food and tourists. It’s also one ...

The axolotl (Ambystoma mexicanum) has extraordinary regenerative abilities—the salamander can regrow lost limbs and repair complex organs, including the retina and the brain—making the axolotl ...

Here is a eight animal species who can regenerate their body parts. Salamanders tend to regrow their tails, weeks after dropping the old one and the new appendage is fully functional. But some species ...