Salamanders in Research


Salamanders have served as model organisms for more than a century. A majority of the earliest embryological and morphological analyses of vertebrate development were conducted using salamander embryos. Today, salamanders continue to be the best animal models for several areas of research and a new generation of researchers are adopting salamanders – and in particular the Mexican axolotl - as their primary animal model.  This webpage provides links to projects that are developing genomic and genetic resources to enhance the axolotl model.

Fun Facts

Why are axolotls the most studied salamander model?

Axolotls are used because they provide a vertebrate model organism that is easy to rear and breed in the lab.

Methods to care for axolotls have been perfected over many decades and they are the only salamanders that can be bred multiple times a year.

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