With their perpetually smiling faces, feathery gills, and charmingly plump bodies, axolotls have captured hearts worldwide.

An axolotl (ax-a-lot-l) is a creature with big frilly gills like a lion’s mane, tiny eyes with no eyelids and a mouth in the shape of a smile. They come in lots of colors: pink, black, golden or gray.

The only aquatic creature cuter than a sea turtle is an axolotl (Ambystoma mexicanum). These adorable amphibians have feathery gills and a flattened head — they are just so squishy and cute! Axolotls ...