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Mexico City - Axolotl were first discovered by the Aztecs in the lakes under Mexico City.

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Water monster - The Aztecs called axolotl a water monster, and made it into a mythical being.

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Quetzalcoatl's brother - The Aztec said the axolotl was the rebellious, troublemaking brother of the feathered serpent god, Quetzalcoatl.

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Edible - The Aztec also ate the salamander-like axolotl, but the amphibian population thrived nonetheless.

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Spanish - Mexico City was formerly an island, but after the Spanish conquest the surrounding lakes were drained.

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Habitat - That lake system was the axolotl habitat, and its draining created the first real challenge for the species. 

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Canals - The axolotl now lives in the city's canal systems and whats left of Lake Xochimilco, on the outskirts of town.

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Polluted - Making matters worse, both the canals and the lake are contaminated by industrial waste.  

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Critically endangered - The axolotl is critically endangered in the wild, facing a high threat of extinction. 

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Childlike - Unlike other amphibians, axolotls don't go through metamorphosis, maintaining their childlike state throughout their lives.

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Neoteny - This childlike state is called neoteny, and it's believed to be a survival mechanism of salamanders living in mountainous regions where there's a scarcity of food.

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Climb - Like other salamanders, the axolotl can climb, swim, and crawl on land.

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Smaller or larger - Axolotls don't undergo metamorphosis so they can stay small, so they need less food. But they can grow larger through cannibalization.

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Regeneration - Axolotls can also regenerate limbs, making them highly desirable in lab testing.

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Heart defect - Biologists studying heart defects use axolotls in their tests, because an axolotl embryo doesn't have a heartbeat until just before hatching.

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Longest DNA strand - Adding to its list of oddities, the axolotl has the longest known DNA strand on the planet. 

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Fascination - Muralists, authors, and biologists alike have had a long-running fascination with the axolotls because of their unique nature.

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Loss - An axolotl extinction would be a major blow to the cultural heritage of Mexico. 

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Emoji - An image of an axolotl was just chosen as an emoji to represent Mexico City. 

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Deep fried in Japan - With the animal being bred in captivity, it can be found deep fried on plates as far away as Japan. 

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Invasive species - The axolotl has also faced competition in its natural habitat from invasive species. 

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Carp and tilapia - Carp and tilapia were artificially introduced to Mexico City's waterways to help feed the population. 

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Eggs - However the carp and tilapia ended up eating the axolotl's eggs, and helped to push the species to the brink of extinction.

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Conservation - Mexico City is attempting to conserve the axolotl habitat to preserve the few remaining wild ones. 

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Saving them - Programs to help preserve the axolotl habitat involve building new, separated canals, and preventing pesticide use.

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Farmers - Much of the conservation effort is done in conjunction with farmers' lands along the canals. 

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Releasing - After the habitats are built, lab axolotls will be released into their new homes.

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2013 - As recently as 2013, only two axolotls were discovered in one square kilometer. 

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1998 - In 1998, there were 6,000 axolotls per square kilometer.

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