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Anybody have any idea where this term comes from? Frank Herbert uses it in the Dune books and in Destination Void (Maybe other i don't know off hand).
I'm just wondering it the hive mind here can tell me whether or not he just made it up or if it actaully have some real meaning.
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Axolotls are an amphibious animal native to the waterways of Mexico City, specifically those which used to be part of the one of the smaller lakes it is built upon iirc.
They grow to around a foot long, and are carnivores. They can't actually fit much in their mouth and have no teeth, so this is no big deal. Much of their life is spent sedentarily if they are let be, and will be contentedly lived out in an old ice cream bucket provided the water is kept properly salinated and treated.
Their most interesting visual feature is the long gills which emerge from their wedge shaped head, looking somewhat like seaweed fronds.
Their most interesting feature overall is there remarkable regenerative capability, which is pared with a high rate of mutation. It is not at all unusual to see axolotls with extra limbs or without eyes. As to their ability to regenerate, they can completely regenerate any limb or the tail, and most bodily injuries are quickly repaired as well.
They are also neotenic, which basically means they can transform from mostly water dwelling to mostly land dwelling under certain circumstances.
While endangered in the wild, they are quite common in captivity. In some places, such as Australia, they are very popular as pets.
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I remember hearing about those somewhere. Amphibian huh? Cool. Thanks for the info Fugu. Know if I could get one for a pet here in the US? Ah, I probably won't, but it would be interesting. Anyways they sound really neat. Thanks. -DN
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