The Axolotl, Earth's Smiling Salamander, Now Flexible

Meet the axolotl (say it ACK-suh-lot-ul). It's a salamander that never grew up, and it seems perfectly happy about it.

A creature that refuses to change

Most salamanders lose their gills and crawl onto land as adults. The axolotl doesn't. It keeps its feathery external gills and its finned tail and spends its whole life underwater, looking like an oversized baby. Scientists call this neoteny. Everyone else calls it adorable, and that permanent little smile doesn't hurt.

There's more to it than cute. Axolotls can regrow lost limbs, and even parts of the spinal cord, heart and brain, which makes them a favorite of researchers who study regeneration. In the wild they live only in the lake and canal system of Xochimilco, near Mexico City, where they are critically endangered. There are far more axolotls in aquariums and labs around the world than in the canals they come from.

Our articulated axolotl

Ours is 3D printed in segments that move, so the body curls and the tail swishes as you play with it. It's sturdy enough to fidget with during a long meeting and pretty enough to leave out on a desk, shelf or windowsill.

• Pink is the classic axolotl color, based on the pale "leucistic" axolotls you see in aquariums
• Green and red has a two-tone look, and it's the holiday favorite

Who it's for

Kids who learned about axolotls from a video game or a nature show. Students who need something to keep their hands busy. Aquarium people who want one that doesn't need a filter. And anyone who has looked at that face and smiled back.

Want something smaller?

Our mini articulated axolotls come in pink and rainbow colors, sold alone or as a five-pack, and they make good party favors.

You'll find more toys and curiosities in our 3D printed guide.