New axolotl exhibit opens at Vancouver Aquarium

A new axolotl exhibit is opening at the Vancouver Aquarium on Jan. 11. (Courtesy: Vancouver Aquarium)

Known for their fluffy gills and quirky smiles, a brand-new exhibit at the Vancouver Aquarium opening this weekend is dedicated to the rare and remarkable axolotl.

Axolotls are a type of salamander that are only found in Lake Xochimilco near Mexico City. A critically endangered species, fewer than 1,000, and as little as 50, are believed to be left in the wild.

“I think kids mostly know (axolotls) through games like Minecraft, but it is an incredible ambassador for animals that we are trying to keep alive in the wild,” Dave White, with the Vancouver Aquarium’s education department, told CTV News on Friday.

The new gallery features three habitats, two for axolotls and one with fish endemic to the same region of Mexico. Visitors will have a chance to learn about the amphibian’s ancient origins and connection to Aztec culture, its unique biology, and conservation efforts.

Axolotls are one of the only vertebrates that can regenerate limbs, an “incredible ability” that researchers are actively studying, White said. And unlike other salamander species that grow up and live on land, axolotls spend their whole life cycle in the water.

“They’re quite a unique species in terms of their look. They do have those feathery gills that stick out of the top of their heads there. So while they do have lungs present on them, they use their gills throughout their entire life,” he said.

“And probably their most unique aspect is going to be their permanent smile that they seem to have on their face. It’s a creature that it’s impossible not to feel good looking at them just because of that wonderful smile that you see smiling back at you.”

Amazing Axolotls!, which will be a permanent exhibit, opens to the public on Sunday, Jan. 11.