The name axolotl or axolotl is the common denomination used to name several species of amphibians that belong to the genus Ambystoma, however, some are also called salamanders, like other groups of amphibians of various families. The axolotl has very peculiar features, since certain species maintain some larval characteristics in adulthood, which is known as neoteny. Others, on the other hand, develop metamorphosis and some may or may not even undergo the metamorphic process depending on certain conditions.
Many species of this group are at risk, mainly due to the alteration of their habitat, and in this article on our site we want to present information about where they live the axolotl. We invite you to continue reading.
Axolotl distribution
There are 33 species of axolotls, which are native exclusively to North America Although they are particularly recognized and have great notoriety in the Northwest and Central from Mexico, some members of the genus Ambystoma also occur in United States, including the southwestern Alaska and southern Canada. Of the total species, 17 are found in Mexico and 16 are endemic to the country, so these animals have an important distribution in much of this region.
Some examples of species that are distributed in the mentioned regions can be found in:
- Ambystoma silvense: Mexico.
- Ambystoma mexicanum: Mexico.
- Ambystoma rosaceum: Mexico.
- Ambystoma talpoideum: United States.
- Ambystoma texanum: Canada and the United States.
- Ambystoma tigrinum: Canada and the United States.
- Ambystoma maculatum: Canada and the United States.
- Ambystoma mavortium: Canada, Mexico and the United States.
- Ambystoma macrodactylum: Canada and United States (includes Alaska).
Axolotl Habitat
Now that we know where the axolotl lives in terms of which countries it grows naturally in, let's see exactly what its habitat is like. The habitat of the axolotl may be exclusively aquatic, however, as the amphibian that it is, there are species that, when they reach adulthood , go to live on dry landHowever, as is common in the animals of their group, they require permanent or seasonal bodies of water to lay their eggs and the survival of their larvae. To know this last point in detail, do not miss this other article on the Reproduction of the axolotl.
The specific areas where these animals develop vary from one region to another, so let's look at certain particular examples of the axolotl's habitat to better understand where it lives.
Mexican Axolotl (Ambystoma mexicanum)
If you wonder where the Mexican axolotl lives, you should know that, unfortunately, it is in critical danger of extinction, so that most of the population lives in protected and controlled places to guarantee its survival. This species is neotenic, which means that it maintains much of its larval traits during adulthood. Thus, it is an aquatic axolotl, which lives in very deep waters and with a great variety of vegetation. The latter is especially important for its reproduction, since it is in the aquatic plants where it lays its eggs.
Mountain stream salamander (Ambystoma altamirani)
The stream axolotl, as it is also known, is endemic to Mexico, specifically to the state of Morelos and the Federal District. Their habitat is made up of smaller permanent streams, which are found through pine and oak forests. May also inhabit grasslands where logging has occurred. Some adult individuals that have undergone metamorphosis remain in the water constantly.
Tarahumara Salamander (Ambystoma rosaceum)
Also known as the pink salamander, although it does not have this coloration, or the Tarahumara salamander, it is another species endemic to Mexico, with a presence in Chihuahua, Durango, Jalisco, Nayarit, Sinaloa, Sonora and Zacatecas. It is located in high altitude habitats, where there is a presence of pine and oak forests, with shallow streams and minor currents; it also grows in artificial ponds used for livestock. Individuals adults can be terrestrial
Blue-spotted salamander (Ambystoma laterale)
This species inhabits Canada and the United States. In the first case, some of the places where it is present are Quebec, Ontario, Nova Scotia; in the second, Maine, Illinois, New York and Minnesota, among others. It can develop in swamps and marshes surrounded by sandy or clay soils, both lowland and upland. Larvae are free-living in shallow water, but the adults are usually underground
Long-toed salamander (Ambystoma macrodactylum)
In the case of Canada it is present in Alberta and British Columbia, in the case of the United States it is in California, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington and Alaska. It is a species that develops in various types of habitats. For reproduction, adults move to permanent or seasonal pools, which can be natural or artificial, also in lakes or streams. In the adult phase, are subterranean, living in semi-arid sagebrush ecosystems, subalpine meadows, dry or humid forests, or in rocky surroundings of mountain lakes.
Marbled salamander (Ambystoma opacum)
This species grows in the United States, being more tolerant to dry habitats than others in the group. It is present in woody areas around swamps and ponds. Also in rocky areas and dunes present in forests.
Eggs are laid in the aquatic environment, but adults are entirely terrestrial, living under various media, including the ground.
Alchichica Axolotl (Ambystoma taylori)
Also called Taylor's salamander, it is endemic to Puebla, Mexico. It lives in the Alchichica Lake, which is saline, at an elevation of 2,290 m.a.s.l. Generally, it develops all the time in water at depths of more than 30 meters.
Small-mouth salamander (Ambystoma texanum)
The species is native to Canada in Ontario and the United States in Alabama, Kansas, Texas, Nebraska and Oklahoma, among other states. Its habitat is characterized by ecological diversity, so that it can live in different types of forests such as pine, oak, dense and alluvial plains; also in prairies of tall grasses and fairly cultivated areas. Reproduction occurs permanently or seasonally in the aquatic environment, but adult life usually takes place underground, rocks, leaf litter or crayfish burrows.
Get to know all the Types of axolotl in this other article and keep learning with us.
Protected areas where the axolotl lives
Various species of axolotls can inhabit certain protected areas in order to guarantee their survival because they are in danger of extinction. In this way, the habitat of these axolotls is much more controlled. Let's find out where these axolotls live:
- Mountain stream salamander (Ambystoma altamirani): Lagunas de Zempoala National Park, Cumbres del Ajusco National Park and Desert National Park of the Lions.
- Zacapu Salamander (Amblystoma andersoni): Laguna de Zacapu.
- Champala salamander (Ambystoma flavipiperatum): Sierra de Quila Natural Protected Area.
- Frío River Axolotl (A mbystoma leorae): Iztaccíhuatl-Popocatépetl National Park.
- Lerma Axolotl (Ambystoma lermaense): Lerma Swamp Flora and Fauna Protection Area.
- Mexican Salamander (Ambystoma mexicanum): Ejidos of Xochimilco and San Gregorio in Mexico City.
- Toluca Brook Salamander (Ambystoma rivulare): Nevado de Toluca National Park and in the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve in the Sanctuary of Chincua.
- Rose salamander (Ambystoma rosaceum): Cerro Mohinora Flora and Fauna Protection Area and Campo Verde Flora and Fauna Protection Area.
- Small-mouth salamander (Ambystoma texanum): various protected areas in the United States and in the Park System's Fish Point Nature Preserve Canadian Provincials.
- Mole salamander (Ambystoma talpoideum): protected forest areas in the United States.
