What is the ancestor of an axolotl?

Great question. Axolotl are closely related tiger salamanders. Here's a picture showing the speciation of tiger salamanders. read more

Axolotl are closely related tiger salamanders. Here’s a picture showing the speciation of tiger salamanders. read more

The axolotl is carnivorous, consuming small prey such as worms, insects, and small fish in the wild. Axolotls locate food by smell, and will "snap" at any potential meal, sucking the food into their stomachs with vacuum force. Neoteny. Axolotls exhibit neoteny, meaning that they reach sexual maturity without undergoing metamorphosis. read more

All neotenous mole salamanders were originally termed 'axolotls', as were the larvae of metamorphosing species like the Tiger salamander A. tigrinum. Indeed, this is still the case among laypeople (some people even, apparently, use ‘axolotl’ as the name for any larval salamander). read more