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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
World
Y. Mara Teresa Hernndez

From an Aztec god to Minecraft star. Why does Mexico love the axolotl so much?

A figure of an axolotl sits on display at a museum in Xochimilco Ecological Park, in Mexico City - (Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

Legend has it the axolotl was not always an amphibian. Long before it became Mexico’s most beloved salamander and efforts to prevent its extinction flourished, it was a sneaky god.

“It’s an interesting little animal,” said Yanet Cruz, head of the Chinampaxóchitl Museum in Mexico City.

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