Curious About Axolotls

PODCAST 238: CURIOUS ABOUT AXOLOTLS

RELEASE DATE: SUNDAY, APRIL 23RD, 2023

D:  HELLO, AND WELCOME BACK TO THE CURIOUS KID PODCAST.  ABOUT A YEAR AGO, WE GOT CURIOUS ABOUT TARDIGRADES IN EPISODE 192.  BEFORE WE STARTED GETTING REQUESTS TO GET CURIOUS ABOUT TARDIGRADES, WE KNEW NOTHING ABOUT THEM.  IT TURNS OUT, THEY ARE SUPER FASCINATING, AND THAT EPISODE IS ONE OF MY 10 FAVORITE EPISODES WE’VE EVER RECORDED.  THIS WEEK, WE ARE GETTING CURIOUS ABOUT ANOTHER ANIMAL THAT WE KNOW NEXT TO NOTHING ABOUT.  WHILE DOING OUR RESEARCH FOR THIS EPISODE, WE LEARNED THAT THE ANIMALS WE’RE LEARNING ABOUT THIS WEEK ARE SO UNIQUE AND AMAZING.  

O:  QUADRUPLE-MAILBAG!

D:  QUADRUPLE-MAILBAG!

“HI!  MY NAME IS OLIVER.  I LIVE IN ST. LOUIS AND I AM 6 YEARS OLD.  I LOVE YOUR PODCAST!  I LISTEN IN THE CAR, AT BEDTIME, AND ANY OTHER TIME I CAN!  MY FAVORITE EPISODE IS THE ONE ABOUT SPIDERS!  I WOULD LOVE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT AXOLOTLS!  THEY ARE AMAZING CREATURES ONLY FOUND IN ONE AREA OF MEXICO!  I LOVE YOUR PODCAST SO MUCH, AND I’M YOUR BIGGEST FAN!  HAVE AN AMAZING DAY!

- FROM OLIVER”

“HI!  MY NAME IS NATALIE AND I’D LIKE YOU TO DO A PODCAST ABOUT AXOLOTLS OR POKEMON.  THAT’LL BE GREAT!  I AM 10 AND LOVE YOUR PODCAST!  HOPE YOU CHOOSE MY TOPIC!  LOVE YOU GUYS,

-NATALIE FROM KENTUCKY”

“MY NAME IS LEO.  I AM 8 YEARS OLD.  I LIVE IN ADELAIDE, AUSTRALIA AND I LOVE YOUR PODCAST.  I LISTEN TO IT WHENEVER I CAN.  I’M CURIOUS ABOUT ANCIENT EGYPT, ANCIENT ROME, AXOLOTLS, OCTOPUSES, SUBMARINES, MOVIES, BERRIES, CHRISTMAS, AND SANTA CLAUS.  P.S. THE BEST PODCAST EVER!

- FROM LEO”      

“HELLO!  YOUR PODCAST IS AWESOME!  WOULD YOU PLEASE DO AN EPISODE ABOUT AXOLOTLS?  I DON’T KNOW VERY MUCH ABOUT THEM EXCEPT THAT THEY ARE AMPHIBIANS.  MAYBE JACOB CAN AXOLOTL QUESTIONS TO OLIVIA!  (THAT’S AN EPIC DAD JOKE, LUKE).  THANKS FOR MAKING SUCH A COOL AND EDUCATIONAL PODCAST!  

• ALL OUR BEST, LUKE FROM WASHINGTON STATE”

O:  HOLY SMOKES.  THOSE WERE SOME INCREDIBLE EMAILS.  WE CAN’T WAIT TO LEARN ALL ABOUT AXOLOTLS FOR OLIVER, NATALIE, LEO, LUKE, AND ALSO COHEN AND RUTHIE FROM ONTARIO, CANADA, WHO WANTED US TO GET CURIOUS ABOUT AXOLOTLS TOO.

D:  THERE ARE SO MANY THINGS THAT MAKE AXOLOTLS A COOL ANIMAL TO LEARN ABOUT, SO LET’S GET THINGS STARTED WITH THE QUESTION OF THE WEEK.

O:  THE QUESTION OF THE WEEK IS, WHAT IS THE TOP SPEED THAT AN AXOLOTL CAN MOVE AT?

D:  IF YOU ARE UNFAMILIAR WITH WHAT AN AXOLOTL IS, YOU MAY WANT TO ASK A GROWN UP TO PULL UP A PICTURE FOR YOU.  

O:  THEY CERTAINLY LOOK INTERESTING.  I CAN’T DECIDE IF THEY ARE CUTE, OR MAYBE EVEN CREEPY, BUT THEY DEFINITELY DON’T LOOK LIKE ANY OTHER ANIMAL I’VE SEEN.  THE WORD AXOLOTL IS AZTEC, AND IT CAN TRANSLATE TO “WATER DOG” OR “WATER MONSTER”.  WATER MONSTER IS A PRETTY HARSH NAME FOR THEM, EVEN IF YOU DON’T THINK THEY ARE CUTE.    

D:  THEY CAN RESEMBLE A HUMUNGOUS TADPOLE.  LIKE OUR LISTENER LUKE SAID, THEY ARE AMPHIBIANS, LIKE FROGS, SALAMANDERS, AND TOADS.  

O:  ALSO, LIKE OUR LISTENER OLIVER POINTED OUT, THERE IS ONLY ONE PLACE ON EARTH WHERE AXOLOTLS CAN BE FOUND IN THE WILD. 

D:  IT’S A LAKE COMPLEX IN MEXICO CALLED XOCHIMILCO (SO-CHEE-MILL-KOH).  

O:  THERE ARE ONLY ABOUT 1,000 AXOLOTLS IN THE WILD TODAY.  THAT MAKES THEM A CRITICALLY ENDANGERED ANIMAL IN THE WILD.  

D:  THERE ARE A COUPLE OF REASONS WHY THE NUMBERS OF AXOLOTLS IN THE WILD ARE SO LOW.  FIRST, NEW INVASIVE FISH HAVE BEEN INTRODUCED TO THEIR HABITAT.  THOSE NEW FISH COMPETE WITH AXOLOTLS FOR FOOD, AND THEY ALSO EAT AXOLOTLS.  POLLUTION HAS ALSO LIMITED THE NUMBER OF AXOLOTLS IN THE WILD.     

O:  EVEN THOUGH THEIR NUMBERS IN THE WILD ARE SO LOW, THEY EXIST IN GREATER NUMBERS IN CAPTIVITY, MEANING THAT MANY PEOPLE HAVE AXOLOTLS AS PETS.  IN ADDITION TO THE MANY PET AXOLOTLS OUT THERE, AXOLOTLS ARE FREQUENTLY BEING STUDIED IN LABORATORIES TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THEIR SPECIAL FEATURES.  

D:  ONE OF THE THINGS THAT MAKE AXOLOTLS SO SPECIAL IS THAT THEY DON’T GO THROUGH METAMORPHOSIS LIKE OTHER AMPHIBIANS.  IN OTHER WORDS, THEY DON’T APPEAR TO BE GETTING OLDER.

O:  THE AXOLOTL IS TECHNICALLY A SALAMANDER, BUT OTHER SALAMANDERS LIVE UNDER WATER WHEN THEY ARE YOUNG, BUT EVENTUALLY THEY WILL LOSE THEIR GILLS AND DEVELOP LUNGS.  SALAMANDERS WILL LEAVE THE WATER AND LIVE ON LAND AS ADULTS.  

D:  AXOLOTLS, ON THE OTHER HAND, KEEP THEIR GILLS THROUGHOUT THEIR LIFE.  THEY ALSO DEVELOP LUNGS, BUT THEY CONTINUE BREATHING PRIMARILY THROUGH THEIR GILLS.  THEY ALSO CONTINUE TO LIVE UNDER WATER FOR THEIR ENTIRE LIVES.  

O:  AS THEY GET OLDER, AXOLOTLS CONTINUE TO GROW AND GROW, BUT THEIR FEATURES NEVER CHANGE.  THEY JUST LOOK LIKE BIGGER VERSIONS OF THEIR YOUNGER SELVES AS THEY GROW.

D:  CHECK THIS OUT - THE SALAMANDER CAN GO THROUGH TEN STAGES OF DEVELOPMENT, OR GROWTH, FROM BEING A BABY, OR LARVA, TO BEING A FULLY GROWN ADULT.  IF THE WATER LEVEL IS TOO LOW AND AN AXOLOTL’S GILLS ARE ABOVE WATER FOR LONG ENOUGH, IT STARTS TO CHANGE INTO A SALAMANDER.  IF THE WATER LEVEL RISES BACK UP, SO THAT THE AXOLOTL IS BACK UNDER WATER, ONE OF TWO THINGS CAN HAPPEN.  IF IT HAPPENS DURING THE FIRST FIVE STAGES OF DEVELOPMENT, THE AXOLOTL WILL GO BACK TO IT’S LARVAL STAGE AND REMAIN AN AXOLOTL.  IF IT HAPPENS AFTER THE FIFTH STAGE, THE AXOLOTL WILL CONTINUE TO CHANGE INTO A SALAMANDER.  THAT’S SOME PRETTY NEAT STUFF.    

O:  AXOLOTLS CAN GROW TO ABOUT A FOOT (OR 30 CENTIMETERS) LONG, BUT THE AVERAGE FULLY GROWN AXOLOTL IS JUST 23 CENTIMETERS LONG.  THEIR LEGS AND FEET ARE SMALL RELATIVE TO THE REST OF THEIR BODY.  THEY HAVE A LONG TAIL.   

D:  IF YOU THINK THAT IS NEAT, CHECK OUT THIS NEXT TRICK THEY CAN DO.  THE REASON THAT SCIENTISTS LOVE STUDYING AXOLOTLS IS BECAUSE OF THEIR ABILITY TO REGENERATE.  THAT MEANS THAT THEY ARE ABLE TO RE-GROW LOST BODY PARTS.

O:  THEY ARE NOT THE ONLY ANIMAL THAT CAN REGROW BODY PARTS.  CRABS ARE ALSO ABLE TO DO IT.  WHAT MAKES AXOLOTLS UNIQUE IS THAT THEY CAN ALSO REGROW MISSING ORGANS, LIKE IT’S HEART OR BRAIN.  CRABS ARE ONLY ABLE TO REGROW LIMBS.  EVEN IF AN AXOLOTL HAS A BROKEN SPINE, IT WILL HEAL ON IT’S OWN.  SCIENTISTS ARE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT A WAY TO APPLY THE AXOLOTL’S POWERS OF REGENERATION TO HUMANS THAT HAVE INJURIES.

D:  NOT ONLY CAN AN AXOLOTL REGENERATE JUST ABOUT ANY BODY PART, BUT IT WILL COME BACK IN PERFECTLY, INCLUDING SKIN, BONE, CARTILAGE, MUSCLE, OR WHATEVER ELSE WAS MISSING.  THERE IS SOMETHING ELSE ABOUT AXOLOTLS THAT SCIENTISTS ARE VERY CURIOUS ABOUT.  AXOLOTLS SEEM TO BE RESISTANT TO CANCER.  THEY ARE ABOUT 1,000 TIMES MORE RESISTANT TO CANCER THAN MAMMALS.  THEY ARE BEING STUDIED TO FIGURE OUT WHAT MAKES THEM SO GOOD AT AVOIDING CANCER, AND TO SEE IF THERE IS ANYTHING ABOUT AN AXOLOTL’S ABILITY TO RESIST CANCER THAT CAN BE USEFUL FOR HUMANS.  

O:  AXOLOTLS ARE CARNIVORES, AND WILL EAT JUST ABOUT ANYTHING THAT IS SMALL ENOUGH TO FIT IN THEIR MOUTHS, INCLUDING FISH, INSECTS, AND WORMS.  

D:  THEY DON’T CHEW THEIR FOOD.  THEY CONSUME FOOD BY SUCKING IT INSTEAD.  THEY ARE BOTTOM FEEDERS, AND WHEN THEY SUCK UP THEIR FOOD, THEY OFTEN SUCK UP SOME GRAVEL AS WELL.

O:  AND, THAT’S A GOOD THING, BECAUSE AXOLOTLS USE THE GRAVEL THEY SUCK UP TO HELP GRIND THEIR FOOD.  

D:  THERE ARE SOME ANIMALS THAT ALSO ENJOY EATING AXOLOTLS.  THEY INCLUDE SOME BIRDS AND FISH, MOSTLY CARP AND TILAPIA.  

O:  EVEN THOUGH AXOLOTLS REMAIN IN A LARVAL STAGE THROUGHOUT THEIR LIVES, THEY ARE STILL ABLE TO REPRODUCE AND HAVE BABIES IN THIS STAGE.  A FEMALE AXOLOTL CAN LAY BETWEEN 300 AND 1,000 EGGS.  THE EGGS HATCH AFTER ONLY ABOUT 2 WEEKS.  AFTER THAT, THE BABY AXOLOTLS ARE LEFT ON THEIR OWN.  AXOLOTL ADULTS DO NO PARENTING WHATSOEVER.  THAT’S SAD.  

D:  AXOLOTLS ARE POPULAR PETS BECAUSE THEY ARE TOUGH, EASY TO BREED, AND MANY PEOPLE THINK THEY ARE PRETTY CUTE.  

O:  THE ARE KEPT IN AQUARIUMS SIMILAR TO AN AQUARIUM THAT MIGHT HOLD FISH.  IT’S NOT A GREAT IDEA TO PUT THEM IN THE SAME AQUARIUM WITH FISH, BECAUSE THEY MIGHT EAT THE FISH.  ONE OR TWO AXOLOTLS CAN BE KEPT IN THE SAME TANK, AS LONG AS THERE IS ENOUGH ROOM.  

D:  IN CAPTIVITY, LIKE IN AN AQUARIUM, AXOLOTLS ARE ABLE TO LIVE FOR 10 TO 15 YEARS.  AXOLOTLS IN THE WILD DON’T LIVE QUITE THAT LONG.  

O:  AXOLOTLS ARE FASCINATING TO WATCH, BUT KEEP IN MIND THAT AXOLOTLS ARE NOCTURNAL, MEANING THAT THEY ARE MORE ACTIVE AT NIGHT.  

D:  ALRIGHT OLIVIA, LET’S ANSWER THE QUESTION OF THE WEEK.  WHAT IS THE TOP SPEED THAT AXOLOTLS MOVE AT?

O:  THEIR TOP SPEED IS ABOUT 10 MILES, OR 16 KILOMETERS PER HOUR.  WITH THAT SAID, THEY ARE CAPABLE OF MOVING EVEN FASTER THAN THAT FOR VERY SHORT PERIODS OF TIME.  THEY OFTEN GO FASTER THAN 10 MILES PER HOUR WHEN THEY ARE LUNGING FOR FOOD.

D:  LIKE SNAKES, AXOLOTLS LIKE TO SIT AND WAIT FOR A MEAL TO SWIM BY.  THEY SAVE ENERGY BY DOING THIS.  THEN, WHEN THE MEAL ARRIVES, THEY LUNGE IN A VERY FAST AND SUDDEN MOVEMENT.  

O:  LIKE MANY OTHER ANIMALS, AXOLOTLS ARE VERY ACTIVE AND SWIM AROUND A LOT WHEN THEY ARE YOUNGER.  WHEN THEY GET OLDER, THEY BECOME LESS ACTIVE.  

D:  IF YOU HAVE A PET AXOLOTL AT HOME, SEND A PICTURE OF YOUR AXOLOTL OVER TO US AT CURIOUSKIDPODCAST@GMAIL.COM.  WE MIGHT JUST SHARE THE PICTURE WITH OUR FOLLOWERS ON FACEBOOK AND INSTAGRAM.  AXOLOTLS OFTEN LOOK LIKE THEY ARE SMILING, WHICH MAKES THEM PRETTY PHOTOGENIC.  THEY AREN’T ACTUALLY SMILING, LIKE WE DO WHEN WE’RE HAPPY, BUT IT’S SUPER CUTE TO SEE THEM SMILE ANYWAY.  WELL, THAT’S A WRAP FOR THIS WEEK’S EPISODE.

O:  238 - AXOLOTLS.

D:  GREAT JOB OLIVIA, AND GREAT JOB OLIVER, NATALIE, LEO, LUKE,  COHEN, AND RUTHIE, FOR THE VERY AMPHIBIAN-TERESTING EPISODE TOPIC SUGGESTION.  BEFORE WE SAY GOODBYE, WE HAVE A COUPLE OF AWESOME PEOPLE TO THANK.  

O:  THANK YOU TO OUR NEWEST PATREON SUPPORTERS, LIAM AND EVIE H.  

D:  A BIG THANKS TO LIAM AND EVIE FOR THE SUPPORT.  JOIN US NEXT WEEK, WHEN WE WILL GET CURIOUS ABOUT CASTLES FOR LISTENERS IN AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND AND ATLANTA, GEORGIA.  AS ALWAYS, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR LISTENING AND GETTING CURIOUS WITH US.