The axolotl is a rather remarkable creature. Unlike other amphibians, the axolotl is born fully formed and does not metamorphose on its own. However, unlike most salamanders, it doesn't grow lungs and leave the water. Though an injection of iodine or thyroid hormones can prompt an axolotl into metamorphosing into a terrestrial adult form. But its neoteny wasn't the only reason it was valuable for science. Its body was basically made up of stem cells and it was known to have a more extensive healing factor than any other vertebrate. It was able to repair or regenerate limbs and even vitals parts of its body as long as it was not lethal. They were also known to be able accept transplants from other individuals with little complication.
However, despite their remarkable ability to heal, the axolotl is nearly extinct in the wild, namely because of the development of the Mexican lakes it inhabits, pollution, and the introduction of invasive species. Fortunately, axolotls were very easy to breed in captivity, though efforts were being made to conserve the wild population. Perhaps with this next uplifting, there will be more support.
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The axolotl that Dr. Miyamoto brought with him to the U.S. was a curious creature. That is to say, it was much more curious about its surroundings than one would expect in a salamander. It was certainly eager to explore the larger terrarium that it was put in. It was a lot like a koi pond, though she was the only inhabitant for the moment. It did notice the humans looking at it, but it had long since been insensitized to the presences of humans.
The presence of a familiar human did catch its attention. It has long associated the human with feeding time. There was sometimes a little bit of pain, but nothing to really deter it. As expected, the human's hand entered the water, showing some mealworms on the palm. The axolotl swam over and started eating them. It barely paid attention to the prick on its back. It had felt pricks many times before. Once it was finished with the meal, the axolotl swam off.
However, as it swam along, the axolotl began to notice something different. It didn't feel ill, but it felt...rather strange. It started to process that was happening to it was not normal. The pond that was so roomy now seemed a little smaller. It soon occurred to it that it was growing, at a faster pace than ever before. It also noticed that its legs were growing longer in proportion to its body than before.
Swimming to the edge of the pond, it looked up, seeing more humans looking down at it. Then the axolotl felt an impulse it had never felt before. It lifted its head up out of the water, more than it probably could have before. It reached out with its longer forelimbs and grasped the side of the pond. The toes clenched as they formed into something more dexterous, fingers it realized, granting it a better purchase. Its longer hind legs pushed at the bottom of the pond, bringing its upper body all the way out of the water.
The axolotl should have started asphyxiating as soon as its gills left the water. But instead, it took in a deep breath of air without trouble. It was becoming increasingly aware the pond was becoming too shallow for it. It placed one leg up and then the other, climbing out of the pond. The axolotl was able to stand on its hind legs quite easily now. Its front legs were not as long, but they were becoming more special. It realized it now had arms and hands like the humans and it was starting to grow as tall as the humans.
The next sensation was two points of unexpected pleasure on its chest. The axolotl looked down (its neck was a lot more flexible) and noticed two darker spots that were sticking out on its chest, mounds growing up behind them. It brought its hands up to them and let out a soft moan as the pleasure increased. New knowledge appeared in its brain, telling it that these were breasts, mammary glands for human women. The axolotl was aware she was female before, but it never seemed important to her until now. She was becoming aware that she was growing increasingly large breasts and her hips and rear were plumping up into a pleasant feminine shape.
As the axolotl was going through her last stage of metamorphosis, she became more aware of what the humans were saying. She actually what was being said, so much new information being added to her mind. She was aware that the humans were speaking English, but she knew she could understand two other languages as well; Japanese and Spanish. The former obviously because of where she was raised and the latter because of where her species originated. There was still a lot more other information she possessed, namely what she had unknowingly picked up in Miyamota's lab. But she wanted to know exactly what she knew. She turned to the human scientists and spoke with her new voice, "Hola. Kon'nichiwa. Hello."
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Since her species was partially named after a Mayan god, the uplifted axolotl felt it was fitting that she'd name herself after a Mayan goddess. Ix Chel, the Mayan goddess of midwifery and medicine seemed like a good pick, though the axolotl went with just 'Chel'.
Chel was rather intrigued with her new body. In a way, her body was much like the other lizard Animalians. Though instead of being covered with scales, she just had a pale, slightly mucus-covered, skin. She definitely had the other traits of other lizard Animalians, namely the enhanced female figure that included a large pair of breasts that stood at odds with her cold-blooded, egg-laying nature. But asides from that, there were other signs she was a salamander. Her tail was still mostly flatted for swimming purposes with her caudal fin extending up her back. Her gills had increased in number, covering much of her scalp and looking much like pink, fuzzy dreadlocks.
Her gills were an interesting feature. The scientists were a little puzzles as to why Chel grew more gills, though the general consensus was that her larger body required more oxygen. But she didn't need to get her oxygen from the water now. Her physical examination showed that she had fully functional lungs now. The scientists theorized either her body was incorporating more human DNA or that her change introduce enough thyroid hormones into her body to allow her to grow lungs but not lose her gills.
Chel seemed to have picked up a bit of Dr. Miyamota's scientific curiosity as she wanted to see what further applications her altered DNA was capable of, especially with the de-extinction projects. But she knew she also had another goal. She needed to do what she could to save her wild brethren from extinction. Hopefully, her image would be useful in alerting humans how threatened the wild axolotl population actually was.