Im sure everyone has heard this by now but its my favorite thing about them: Axolotls evolved from a salamander that mutated to stay in its juvenile form permanently. You can (but shouldn’t) induce metamorphosis in them chemically (or occasionally, environmentally) and they will transform into a vestigial adult form.

They’re critically endangered and will be extinct very soon in the wild. There are millions in captivity. Scientists have been using them for experiments for a long time, and they’ve become popular pets even before mine craft added them because they’re very low maintenance.

A lot of conservationists despise people having exotic pets. This hasn’t been the first and won’t be the last animal that were the last of their species exist in captivity. Maybe we should take the hint and realize we need to be more proactive.