Axolotlidae
/ˌæk.səˈlɒt.lɪ.diː/noun
A taxonomic family name historically used for salamanders including axolotls and their close relatives, now generally treated within Ambystomatidae.
Did you know?The name is traditionally connected with Xolotl, a Nahua god associated with death, transformation, twins, and the evening star, although the exact internal analysis of the Nahuatl word is debated.
Etymological Timeline
Pre-Columbian period
Classical Nahuatl
āxōlōtl
“The Nahuatl name for the aquatic salamander; traditionally interpreted as involving ātl, “water,” and Xolotl.”
16th Century
Spanish
axolote
“Spanish borrowing of the Nahuatl animal name, used for the Mexican aquatic salamander.”
18th Century
English
axolotl
“English adoption of the Spanish or Nahuatl name for the salamander.”
19th Century
Scientific Latin
Axolotlidae
“A zoological family name formed from Axolotl plus the taxonomic suffix -idae, meaning a family group.”
Modern English
English
Axolotlidae
“A historical or alternative family designation for axolotls and related mole salamanders, commonly subsumed under Ambystomatidae.”