Upon closer inspection, I realized that it was the toy-maker's rendition of an honest-to-goodness, real-life creature from Mother Nature's menagerie. It was a plaything that depicted an axolotl.

In ancient Aztec tongue, the name 'Axolotl' translates to "water monster," and just as their name suggests, these creatures live their entire lives underwater using these adorable feather gills to ...

Now, it seems, they’re everywhere: in the form of plush toys, children’s books, fashion and decor. But the axolotl is only ... also known as the “water bear”), there are certain qualities ...

With its goggling eyes and signature smiley face, the axolotl became Japan's favorite water creature after it was featured in a TV ad in the 1980s. At iZoo, a facility in Kawazu, Shizuoka ...