Why an Axolotl Can Hunt on Foot
An axolotl is an aquatic salamander, but it is not built to spend every moment swimming. Its four short limbs can support and reposition its body on the bottom, where it can move along the substrate—sand, gravel, or other material on the floor of its habitat—rather than launch into open water.
That matters during a hunt. Worms and other small prey may be within reach on or near the bottom, so an axolotl can approach them with a series of steps. Its external, feathery gills remain exposed to the water while it does so; walking does not mean it has left its aquatic environment.
Two Ways to Get Around
When it needs to cross open water, an axolotl can propel itself by bending its body and sweeping its broad tail from side to side. Its legs can help steer and stabilize it, but on the bottom they take the lead. The result is a strikingly amphibian combination: a permanently aquatic animal that can hunt without turning every trip after prey into a swim.
