Axolotl

As legend has it, the axolotl is the Aztec god of fire and lightning, Xolotl, which disguised himself as a salamander to avoid being sacrificed. But these Mexican amphibians are impressive enough on their own, with the ability to regenerate lost limbs and stay “young” throughout their lives.

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A 2019 assessment by the International Union for the Conservation of Species found only between 50 and a thousand axolotls are left in the wild—and their populations are dropping.