By Nefeli Koulouridi
The axolotl (“water monster”), also known as the Mexican walking fish, is a salamander with special properties. Despite its name, the axolotl is not a fish but an amphibian that comes from lakes near Mexico City. Unlike most amphibians, the axolotl does not 
undergo metamorphosis when it reaches adulthood, retaining its larval form throughout its life, allowing it to stay young forever, a phenomenon known as neoteny.
However, it is not this salamander’s “eternal youth” that has attracted the interest of scientists. The axolotl is the only vertebrate that has the ability to regenerate its limbs, 
parts of its heart, its spine, and even its brain – all withoutpermanent scarring. It has also shown an “immunity” to cancer. These properties are being researched continuously, in the hope that we will one day be able to acquire them too, revolutionizing the medical field as we know it today…
| Axolotl | |
| Scientific name: | Ambystoma mexicanum |
| Lifespan: | 10-15 years |
| Colour: | In nature, olive brown with dark spots, but black, pink, white, yellow and red varieties have been bred. |
| Size: | Approximately 23 centimeters |
| Diet: | Earthworms, water worms, snails, small shrimp and crayfish, insects such as crickets, cockroaches, etc. |
https://sitn.hms.harvard.edu/flash/2018/regeneration-axolotl-can-teach-us-regrowing-human-limbs/
https://el.wikipedia.org/wiki/%CE%91%CE%BE%CE%BF%CE%BB%CF%8C%CF%84%CE%BB
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/amphibians/facts/axolotl
https://anatomypubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/dvdy.340
https://www.ertnews.gr/eidiseis/epistimi/ta-axolotl-mporoyn-na-anagennisoyn-ton-egkefalo-toys/
