can axolotls live without water for all their lifetime

Axolotls (Ambystoma mexicanum) are aquatic creatures, closely related to salamanders and are native to Xochimilco, Mexico. They cannot live without water for their entire lifetimes. Here are a few key reasons why:

1. Respiration: Axolotls breathe primarily through their gills while they are in the larval stage. Even when they mature, they have the ability to breathe air, but this is supplementary, and they need to be in or near water to process oxygen efficiently.

2. Hydration: Axolotls' skin is permeable, and they rely on water to stay hydrated. Without water, they would dehydrate quickly, which could be fatal.

3. Temperature Regulation: Axolotls regulate their body temperature through their environment. Without water, they would struggle to maintain the appropriate body temperature needed for their metabolism and overall health.

4. Feeding and Digestion: Their diet includes live, small aquatic animals, and they eat while submerged. Additionally, their digestive system is adapted to an aquatic environment.

5. Reproduction: Axolotls are ovoviviparous, meaning they give birth to live young without eggs. The females lay eggs that develop inside them before being born. This process happens in water, and the larvae develop in water as well.

Though they can survive for brief periods out of water, axolotls require a moist environment to avoid dehydration and must return to water to thrive. A high level of humidity in their immediate environment can help them survive out of water for short periods of time, but long-term survival without water is not possible.