According to Montero, the myth implies that, after a god's passing, its essence gets imprisoned in a mundane creature, ...

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.

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) From ...

The species on display at the museum — one of 17 known varieties in Mexico — is native to lakes and canals that are polluted, where axolotl now would likely struggle to feed or reproduce.

The species on display at the museum — one of 17 known varieties in Mexico — is endemic to lakes and canals that are currently polluted. A healthy population of axolotl would likely struggle ...

(AP Photo/Marco Ugarte, File) A figure of an axolotl sits on display at a museum in Xochimilco Ecological Park, in Mexico City, Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Marco Ugarte) A woman holds an ...