Ancient deity, pet, endangered species: Axolotl is Mexico's most beloved amphibian 

An axolotl swims in an aquarium at a museum in Xochimilco Ecological Park in Mexico City, Feb. 11, 2025. Trees surround a lake at Xochimilco Ecological Park in Mexico City, Feb. 11, 2025. A figure of an axolotl sits on display at a museum in Xochimilco Ecological Park in Mexico City, Feb. 11, 2025.

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.