Why Axolotls Have Feathery Gills
Axolotls are special salamanders that live in water. They breathe mainly through their gills, which stick out from the sides and top of their heads like a little crown.
How gills work: Gills are like tiny straws inside a fish or amphibian’s body. Water flows over the gills, and the gill filaments (the feathery parts) take the oxygen out of the water. The axolotl then uses that oxygen in its blood to stay alive.
Why they look like a crown
Axolotls have many thin, feathery filaments on their gills. This long, frilly shape helps them have a larger area to soak up oxygen from the water. The filaments spread out like a crown on their heads, which makes them look very unique!
Other cool facts
- The gills stay outside the body all the time; axolotls keep them throughout life, instead of changing into lungs as some other amphibians do.
- Axolotls can also absorb some oxygen through their skin and through their mouth lining, but the gills are the main source in water.
- In the wild, they live in lakes in Mexico, but in captivity they can live in aquariums with clean, cool water.
Understanding their gills helps us see how amazing axolotls are and why they look like they wear a little crown on their heads!