The desire to stay young forever is one of many people's deepest aspirations, a desire that has yet to be achieved – but it turns out that what people can't do, a lovable amphibian that has become one of Mexico's symbols, actually succeeded.
The critically endangered Mexican exolotl is an unusual and incredibly cute-looking amphibian from the salamanders family, capable of regrowing almost all parts of its body, its eyes and even parts of the brain. This unusual ability has made the animal a major focus of interest among many biologists, who want to crack the secret that allows it to stay young.
The gills disappear in adulthood. The Mexican Exolotl, Photo: Getty Images
This is a unique animal, which can appear pink, black and brown in color. Its unusual lifestyle is reflected in the fact that, unlike other salamander species, the exolotl will not mature as long as it lives in water, a reality that can last for many years. This changes when the lake in which it lives does not have enough food and its living conditions change, so it undergoes a change from a tadpole to an adult animal that goes on land – which results in its lungs developing, its gills disappearing and even its diet changes.
This animal is considered critically endangered because its habitat is found in only two lakes – Lake Xochimilco and Lake Chalco, which are located near Mexico City. In fact, according to various estimates, only 50 to 1,000 individuals remain in the wild, which are disappearing. This reality led the Mexican authorities and the International Union for Conservation of Nature to take action to preserve the animal, among other things because it became a national symbol of Mexico and even appeared on a 50-peso banknote issued in 2021.
National symbol. The Mexican Exolotl, Photo: Getty Images
Wrong? We'll fix it! If you find a mistake in the article, please share with us