10-Year-old Girl Finds a Mexican Axolotl Far From Its Home in Wales

Just about every parent of a child of a certain age has likely heard about the axolotl by now. That's because these adorable little creatures have seen a rise in popularity with children, tweens, and teens in recent years. In fact, everything I know about the amphibian I have learned from my three children, who are absolutely obsessed with the little critters.

But now there's a whole new legion of axolotl fans after one 10-year-old girl made a startling discovery while on a family vacation.

The unexpected surprise happened when she and her family were taking a break on a road trip through Wales, and the little girl found the axolotl.

But exactly how and where she made the find are what has her story making headlines around the world. Keep reading to learn more about the axolotl found in the wilds of the U.K., including where these cute critters live normally and just about how long they are expected to live when kept in their natural habitat.

One 10-year-old is being hailed a hero after finding what appeared to be an abandoned axolotl under a bridge in Wales. According to the BBC, Melanie Hill was hanging out with her daughter, Evie, near the River Ogmore in Bridgend. Evie, who has a history of finding small critters like bugs and newts, spotted the amphibian while lifting up someone's old mat, which had been left in the shallow part of the river, under the "Dipping Bridge."

That's where she found the newest member of her family.

Sadly, the creature was a little worse for the wear, and Evie's mom said she knew almost immediately that they needed to cut their vacation short so that they could get the axolotl back home so it could recover from what appeared to be an injury to his tail and belly.

These days, Dippy — who was named after the bridge he was found under — sounds like he's doing fine, and has even been given a larger tank where he will likely spend the rest of his days as the family's new pet.

According to the BBC, this was the first-ever reporting of an axolotl being found in the wild in Wales. That's no surprise, since the Natural History Museum says that they are likely more used to the warmer weather in their hometown of Mexico City.

That's right, axolotls are naturally found in the wetlands of Lake Xochimilco in Mexico City. Although if you're hoping to do what Evie did and find one in the wild, you may be out of luck since they are Critically Endangered.

The life cycle of an axolotl is a curious thing, according to the Natural History Museum, since it's believed that the animals have evolved to meet their environment. That means some will remain in water for the duration of their life, but typically only if they reach sexual maturity before they lose access to the water (for example, if a lake dries up), meanwhile, those who experience drought conditions may be able to live on land.

Fortunately for axolotls in the wild, the animals do have the ability to regenerate parts of their body when they are injured, so it's likely that Dippy will be just fine now that he's being well cared for by Evie and her family.