THE NORTH RIDING PROJECT

The axolotl, which is closely related to the tiger salamander, is native only to the freshwater of Lake Xochimilco and Lake Chalco in the Valley of Mexico.  Lake Chalco no longer exists, and Lake Xochimilco remains a remnant of its former self.  As of 2020, the axolotl was near extinction in the wild.

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The axolotl is capable of the regeneration of entire lost appendages in a period of months, and, in certain cases, more vital structures, such as tail, limb, central nervous system, and tissues of the eye and heart.  They can even restore less vital parts of their brains.

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The species is named after the Aztec deity Xolotl, who transformed himself into an axolotl to avoid being sacrificed by fellow gods.  HD 224693, a star in the equatorial constellation of Cetus was named Axolotl in 2019.  In 2021, the axolotl featured on the new Mexican 50 peso bank-note, which was recognised as Bank Note of the Year by the International Bank Note Society.  The Pokemon Wooper is directly based on an axolotl.  Axolotls were added to the video game Minecraft in 2020, and an anthropomorphic axolotl named Axo was added as a purchasable outfit in Fortnite Battle Royale.

Wikipedia