What is the main natural habitat of the endangered axolotl?

The axolotl’s main remaining natural habitat is the canal system of Lake Xochimilco in Mexico City.

Axolotls are aquatic salamanders famous for retaining juvenile features throughout adulthood, including external feathery gills. This condition, called neoteny, allows them to reproduce while remaining in water rather than transforming into a fully terrestrial adult form.

The species once occupied a larger network of lakes in the Valley of Mexico. Urban growth, pollution, invasive fish and habitat changes greatly reduced its wild range. Lake Xochimilco’s surviving canals now represent the best-known natural refuge.

Captive axolotls are common in laboratories, aquariums and the pet trade, but they should not be released into the wild. Captive populations can also be genetically different from the remaining wild population, so conservation work focuses on protecting native habitat and maintaining genetic diversity.