I noticed on a news alert from Google that the axolotl colony previously housed at Indiana University has moved to the University of Kentucky. While the news on the move was not particularly fascinating to me, some information on an article related to the move was interesting, especially on how the Axolotl was a figure in Aztec mythology.

In an Aztec language, "atl" means water, and "xolotl" means dog but "xolotl" also refers to a figure in Aztec mythology, Xolotl. Often depicted as a skeleton or dog-faced, Xolotl was a psychopomp or a god or goddess who escorts deceased souls to there final resting place. According to the mythology, Xolotl turned into an axolotl to avoid capture and was killed while in this form.

The Aztec often used the axolotl for food and according to Wikipedia axolotl can still be purchased in markets in Mexico today.