Essay Sample about Axolotls

Attention getter: Axolotls can do so many wacky things in nature.  

Background information: Axolotls are fascinating amphibians that live in Mexico. Their environment includes high-altitude bodies of water and lots of hiding places. As legend has it, axolotls are also the Aztec gods of fire and lighting. Furthermore, axolotls glow a bright fluorescent green once exposed to UV light. Other animals such as mammals, birds, and reptiles glow as well under UV light, although they glow assorted colors, they don't all glow green.  

Thesis: Axolotls are the most fascinating amphibians on Earth. They can do so many things that still baffle people today. So, let’s dive in and get started! 

Body paragraph 1 

Topic sentence: Axolotls can regrow parts of their body. 

Example 1: They can regrow their heart.  

Explanation: To regrow their heart, they rely on macrophage, which is a large phagocytic cell (it's a type of immune cell that can surround and kill microorganisms. It is also a type of white blood cell).  

Example 2: They can regrow damaged limbs 

Explanation: If their limb is damaged, they use macrophage so it can grow it back in less than three weeks (it uses the same technique to regrow their lungs and brain).  

Example 3: They are fast at regrowing their body parts.  

Explanation: If some accident happened and it crushed the spinal cord of an axolotl, the amphibian would be fine. He will hide while he grows back his spinal cord. In about three weeks, everything will reconnect again, and the axolotl will come out as if nothing happened!  

Transition: In addition to being able to regrow parts of their bodies, axolotls are also experts at hunting. Read on to find out more.  

Body paragraph 2 

Topic sentence: The axolotl has all it needs to catch prey.  

Example 1: Axolotls have teeth, but they can't chew.  

Explanation: Instead, they use their teeth to clamp down their prey. Once they have their prey, they suck it in (including water!) and swallow their prey whole (the water will go back through the axolotls gills).  

Example 2: Axolotls are ambush predators.  

Explanation: This means that axolotls wait in hiding until prey comes near. Once it’s in grabbing reach, CHOMP, dinner time! (it's the same for a female lion. They stalk in the tall grasses, wait for prey to come near, then ambush it. The only difference is that they chase their prey, while axolotls wait, then suck and swallow).  

Example 3: They are carnivores.  

Explanation: This means that they eat mostly meat. Their diet mainly consists of worms, insects, crustaceans, mollusks, tadpoles, and some small species of fish. They may also suck up gravel, which helps grind up food in it’s belly (just like dinosaurs used to do).  

Transition: As well as being experts at hunting, axolotls also make good pets. Read on to find out more.  

Body paragraph 3 

Topic: Axolotls can be kept in captivity.  

Example 1: They make good beginner pets.  

Explanation: They are relatively easy to care for and their dietary needs are fairly straightforward (in captivity, you can feed them earthworms, bloodworms, commercial fish pellets, brine shrimps, small strips of beef or liver, frozen fish foods, or tubifex worms).  

Example 2: They are inexpensive.  

Explanation: It costs about $30 - $75 for a basic, healthy axolotl, about $20 for a baby axolotl, and a more exotic type costs about $100 (the real expense though, is the tank, that can range from $80 to even $285).  

Example 3: They live fairly long in captivity.  

Explanation: Axolotls that live in captivity live for about 10-15 years (over 20 if well cared for), while in the wild, only 5 to 10 years. The reason why they live less in the wild is because of predators, who have no trouble catching an axolotl for lunch (axolotls are slow-moving amphibians).  

Transition: Congratulations! You made it to the end! I hope you had fun learning about axolotls and their amazing abilities. Read on for my restated thesis and final thought.  

Conclusion 

Restated thesis: After analyzing all the facts above, we can clearly see that axolotls are wacky. They are able do so many things that other animals simply cannot do. To sum up everything, axolotls are truly important and fascinating animals.  

Final thought: Axolotls are the wonders of the world. My hope is that people find a way to save these creatures from habitat loss, human development, and more, because they really are divine animals; they deserve to be here.  

Where I got my info: Google (no websites used).