[Aztlan] Axolotl

[Bruce Rogers]

>A few years ago, there was a discussion of the axolotl, the salamander that
>inhabited the lake system in the Valley of Mexico. Could the person who
>initiated that discussion let me know what its questions and their results
>were?
>Thanks,
>Carolyn Tate

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Date:         Wed, 1 Dec 1999 13:28:57 -0500
From: "John F. Schwaller" <schwallr at selway.umt.edu>
Subject:      curious
To: AZTLAN at LISTSERV.LOUISVILLE.EDU


At 09:17 AM 12/1/1999 -0500, you wrote:
>i'm new to the list and am wondering if anyone has ever read DUNE by
>Frank Herbert.  it may seem odd, but, in the book, he uses the word
>axolotl to refer to a tank used for cloning.  i can gather from some of
>the postings that xolotl means doll, but i don't know what the a- adds
>to the word.  i haven't studied much of the language yet so i haven't
>committed much grammar to memory.  thank you to anyone who responds.

axolotl  is a water puppy, a non-metamorphosed salamander.  It
comes from Nahuatl and means a water xolotl.  There was a
relatively large group of animals in Nahuatl taxonomy which b
elonged to the xolotl class including the turkey (big xolotl) and
the owl (rock xolotl)


John Frederick Schwaller                             schwallr at selway.umt.edu
Associate Provost                                        406-243-4722
The University of Montana                           FAX 406-243-5937
                           http://www.umt.edu/history/NAHUATL/
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Date:         Wed, 1 Dec 1999 13:29:06 -0500
From: Carlos M Rincon <carmecol at dc.seflin.org>
Subject:      curious
To: AZTLAN at LISTSERV.LOUISVILLE.EDU

Hi Lucas:

An axolotl (Amphystoma tigrina) is an amphibian regarded by
Mexicans as one of their most unique animals. It's metamorphosis
is arrested so that it never leaves its watery environment....
keeps its tail, branchia etc. The allusion to tank... not a
wheeled weapon, but rather a holding area or receptacle could
be a tenuous reference to the axolotl's need for continuous
immersion. It is an edible salamander. It is believed to be a
fish that menstruates like women (Karttunen, F. 1983:15, An
Analytical Dictionary of Nahuatl, Univ. of Texas Press, Austin).

The ethymological derivation is especially tricky: the "a" is a
prefix derived from the Nahuatl word "atl" meaning water. "Xolotl"
could be derived from the verb "xolahua" or "xoloa" meaning to
slip, or to have a slippery quality (Karttunen 1983:330).
Interestingly, "xolotl" is frequently used to refer to twinned
objects, hence the closest connotation to cloning that I could
find. Refer to Miller, M. and K. Taube 1993:190, in The Gods and
Symbols of Ancient Mexico and the Maya, Thames and Hudson Ltd.,
London.

Hope this helps. Good luck.

Carlos A. Rincon Mautner
carmecol at dc.seflin.org
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Date:         Wed, 1 Dec 1999 13:29:11 -0500
From: a8803917 <a8803917 at unet.univie.ac.at>
Subject:      curious
To: AZTLAN at LISTSERV.LOUISVILLE.EDU

The axolotl is a kind of newt living in central Mexico (from
"atl"=water and "xolotl"=nude, skinless)

Lucas Molina Schrieb
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Date:         Fri, 3 Dec 1999 09:20:24 -0500
From: Tom Frederiksen <spdtom at NORTHCOAST.COM>
Subject:      Curious, axolotl biology
To: AZTLAN at LISTSERV.LOUISVILLE.EDU

Dr. Buerglin writes:
>  Could the aztecs have known about the metamorphosis properties of axolotls??


Another aspect of Axolotl is the ability to spontaneously change 
(morph) under stress.
{reference: http://www.iversonsoftware.com/business/reptile/axolotl.html  }
A very deity-like ability.  Since this thread seems to be growing
legs, I have placed a picture of the white mutant variety on line
for a few days should anyone be interested is seeing the "feather"
like gills.

Axolotl picture - http://northcoast.com/~spdtom/axolotl.gif
(NOTE: LINK NO LONGER WORKS)

The Aztec  were quite interested in nature.  It is hard to believe
they were unaware of this creature and it's rather odd properties.
Considering the feather like gills, and a monster like appearance,
a case for association with Quet and Xol could be made.

Best,
Tom Frederiksen
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Date:         Fri, 3 Dec 1999 10:01:37 -0500
From: Linda Foss <linda at marrder.com>
Organization: Marrder Omnimedia
Subject:      Curious, axolotl biology
To: AZTLAN at LISTSERV.LOUISVILLE.EDU

Thomas Burglin wrote:
>  There are actually several different types of newts that have
>  this "non-maturing" feature, some often in the cold mountain
>  areas in lakes (some in the Rockies, I think).

This is very common. Tiger Salamander can also stay in their
larval state. They are called mud puppies and are sold around
here in bait shops. Although I don't see how anyone can stick a
fish hook through their funny heads. Anyway, they stay in their
larval stage if their aquatic environment is fine. If their pond
should dry up or food supply become low, they can complete their
metamorphosis, become adult salamanders and move onto the land.
Adaptation!

Amphibians are definitely the weirdest and the most fascinating
group of quadrapeds.

   Linda Foss
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Date:         Fri, 3 Dec 1999 13:50:35 -0500
From: Samuel Edgerton Jr <Samuel.Y.Edgerton at williams.edu>
Subject:      Curious, axolotl biology
To: AZTLAN at LISTSERV.LOUISVILLE.EDU


I should have added in my last comment on this subject that the
phylum amphibiae not only contains salamanders and frogs but also
bewitched princes (counterparts to the lawyers among reptiles).

Sam Edgerton
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Date:         Mon, 6 Dec 1999 13:14:45 -0500
From: Linda Foss <linda at marrder.com>
Organization: Marrder Omnimedia
Subject:      Axolotl
To: AZTLAN at LISTSERV.LOUISVILLE.EDU

They are Tiger Salamander larva and are used for bait for fishing.
They live here in east Texas as well, although I have never seen
one. Except in a tank in a classroom at the Houston Museum of
Natural Science where they are a big hit with kids. They have
very funny faces. They are often called mud puppies or water dogs.

Linda Foss
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