Episode guide
Axolotls: The Super-Healing Smilers
The axolotl is a salamander that never grows up and can regrow almost anything it loses. This episode meets the calm little smiler from the lake canals of Mexico.
The science, gently
- Axolotls can regrow entire limbs, and even repair parts of their heart and brain.
- They keep their feathery gills their whole lives, staying water babies forever.
- Their only wild home is one lake system in Mexico, which people are working to protect.
Wonder together
- If you could regrow anything, what would you never worry about again?
- Why do you think axolotls look like they are smiling?
- What is one small thing you could do for animals that have only one home?
Tonight's calm-down
Axolotls heal by resting; stillness is their superpower. It is yours tonight too. Every quiet minute, your body patches and tidies and grows. Smile the axolotl's small smile, and let it work.