The axolotl, ambystoma mexicanum, is a type of salamander that doesn’t go through metamorphosis. Salamanders are amphibians that, like frogs and newts, start off living in the water. Shrouded in mystery, and defying typical biological laws like metamorphosis, the axolotl (pronounced ax-oh-lot-ul), a type of salamander, keeps its webbed feet firmly placed in infancy throughout its life.