10 Fun Facts about Mexican Animals

¡Viva México!

Mexico is home to some truly incredible animals, from the fascinating axolotl and colourful monarch butterfly to the powerful jaguar and the iconic golden eagle. With such a diverse range of wildlife, there are plenty of amazing facts to discover!

To celebrate Mexico’s National Day, we’re taking a look at 10 fun facts about Mexican animals. How many of these facts do you already know?

10 Fun Facts about Mexican Animals

Axolotls can regenerate parts of their bodies!

Nobody quite knows how, but axolotls can regrow their limbs, eyes, and brains. Scientists don’t really know how but they believe it could be because they never went through metamorphosis. The genes that help them grow organs and limbs as they grow up never left, and this may be behind their regenerative abilities. Scientists are working to see whether this could be applied to human tissue!

Jaguars are great swimmers!

Because Jaguars live in wetter environments, they have adapted to be able to swim across rivers, lakes, and wetlands. They’re so good at swimming that they have even been know to swim across really large rivers.

Xoloitzcuintli were used as sacrifices by ancient civilizations

These dogs are one of several breeds of hairless dogs in the world. The bones of the ancient ancestors of this animal have been found in burial sites of the Maya and Toltec civilisations and it’s believed that they were sacrificed and buried with their owners to help lead the to the underworld.

Sea Turtles determine their sex based on sand temperature

When female sea turtles lay their eggs, the temperature of the sand during the incubation process plays a big part in determining the turtle’s sex. Eggs that incubate at temperatures above 31ºC will almost certainly produce all female hatchlings, ad babies incubated at temperatures below 29ºC will most probably be male.

The Golden Eagle is Mexico’s national animal

The Golden Eagle has a long history with the country of Mexico. It was a strong symbol in the Mesoamerican culture. Aztec legend says their war god, Huitzilopochtli, told them to build a city where they found an eagle on a cactus eating a snake. The people saw this sign on an island in Lake Texcoco in 1325 and founded Tenochtitlan, which is now Mexico City. The bird was then put on their national flag in 1821.

Monarch Butterflies are expert migrators

These butterflies are famous for travelling long distances in search of warmer weather. Their annual migration from Canada to Central Mexico can see them flying up to 3,00 miles, and a full migration takes 4 generations to complete. A pilot even recorded a monarch flying at 11,000 feet in the air.

Vaquita Porpoises are almost extinct in the wild

Only 10 of these porpoises exist I the wild. Their primary threat is the fishing industry’s use of fishing nets which trap fish by their gills. Due to the Vaquita’s small size, they also get trapped and, between 1997 and 2016, their population has dropped by nearly 95%.

Ocelots are great at hide and seek!

The spots on their coat help them to blend in with the nooks and crannies of the forest floor as they hunt for their prey. It also helps them blend in as they sleep up in tree branches. ZooLab helped protect this amazing animal’s habitat. Learn more here.

Jewel Beetles were used as actual jewels!

Jewel beetles have incredibly shiny metallic looking exoskeletons, with their gorgeous colours coming from microscopic cuticle structures on their shells. Their wings and exoskeletons were often used in decorative arts and as part of jewellery making and embroidery, due to their vividness and long-lasting colour.

Mexican Red-Knee Tarantulas have interesting life spans!

Females have a very long lifespan – they can live for up to 30 years and sometimes even longer when cared for properly! The males, however, only tend to live up to 5 years and will die after reaching maturity and completing their final moult.

So there you go! What was your favourite fact? Let us know in the comments and stay tuned next month for another instalment!