# Axolotl (*Ambystoma mexicanum*)

Canonical page: https://creaturedata.com/animals/axolotl  
Data as of: 2026-11-11

The axolotl (Ambystoma mexicanum) is a species in the family Ambystomatidae, order Caudata. Recorded adults reach 45.7 cm in length. It has been recorded in 11 countries, most often in Mexico, Canada and Germany. Its IUCN Red List status is Critically Endangered.

## Quick facts

| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Weight | Not recorded |
| Length | 45.7 cm |
| Lifespan | Not recorded |
| Main food | Not recorded |
| Habitat | Not recorded |
| Young per litter or clutch | Not recorded |
| Conservation status | Critically Endangered (IUCN) |
| Recorded in | 11 countries |

## Classification

- kingdom: Animalia
- phylum: Chordata
- class: Amphibia
- order: Caudata
- family: Ambystomatidae
- genus: Ambystoma
- species: *Ambystoma mexicanum* (Shaw & Nodder, 1798)

Synonyms: *Amblystoma weismanni*, *Axolotes guttata*, *Axolotus pisciformis*, *Gyrinus mexicanus*, *Hemitriton mexicanum*, *Hypochton pisciformis*, *Philhydrus pisciformis*, *Siredon axolotl*, *Siredon edule*, *Siren axolotl*, *Siren pisciformis*, *Sirenodon pisciformis*, *Stegoporus mexicanum*, *Stegoporus pisciformis*, *Triton mexicanus*

## Where it has been recorded

Countries with openly licensed sighting records on GBIF (records in brackets). Recorded sightings, not a definitive range.

Mexico (432), Canada (4), Germany (4), United States (3), Brazil (2), Japan (2), New Zealand (2), United Kingdom (1), Georgia (1), Sweden (1), Ukraine (1)

## Common questions

### How big is the axolotl?

An adult axolotl measures 45.7 cm long, according to values recorded on Wikidata.

### Where does the axolotl live?

The axolotl has openly licensed sighting records from 11 countries on GBIF. The most records come from Mexico, Canada, Germany, United States and Brazil. These are recorded sightings, not a definitive range.

### Is the axolotl endangered?

The axolotl is listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, meaning it faces an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild.

### What kind of animal is the axolotl?

The axolotl (Ambystoma mexicanum) belongs to the family Ambystomatidae in the order Caudata.

## Sources

- [GBIF Backbone Taxonomy](https://www.gbif.org/dataset/d7dddbf4-2cf0-4f39-9b2a-bb099caae36c), CC BY 4.0, live API 2026-11-11. GBIF Secretariat. GBIF Backbone Taxonomy. Checklist dataset https://doi.org/10.15468/39omei accessed via GBIF.org.
- [Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/), CC0 1.0, live API 2026-11-11. Wikidata contributors. Wikidata, the free knowledge base.
- [GBIF occurrence aggregates (CC0 and CC BY records only)](https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/search), CC BY 4.0, live API 2026-11-11. GBIF.org occurrence search, country facet counts restricted to CC0 1.0 and CC BY 4.0 records.
- [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/), Per file, live API 2026-11-11. Wikimedia Commons contributors. Licence and creator recorded per file.
- [English Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/), CC BY-SA 4.0, live API 2026-11-11. Wikipedia contributors. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia.

Cite as: Axolotl (Ambystoma mexicanum). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/axolotl