Can an axolotl become a lizard?

No. An axolotl is a salamander and belongs to the amphibians. A lizard is a reptile. One does not turn into the other.

Why metamorphosis causes confusion

Axolotls normally retain juvenile features, including their external gills, as breeding adults. This is called paedomorphosis or neoteny.

Metamorphosis has been induced experimentally, but an axolotl undergoing it remains a salamander. It does not become a lizard. The Natural History Museum warns owners against trying to induce this change.

Correction

The inherited article incorrectly called axolotls reptiles and gave misleading explanations of their gills, lungs and development. That text has been replaced.

Sources checked

• Natural History Museum: Axolotls and their development
• Animal Diversity Web: Ambystoma mexicanum

Replacement copy checked on 2026-11-08. This is a source-based editorial review, not independent veterinary review.