Axolotl Habitat Characteristics
The water temperature in Lake Chalco rarely rises above 20 °C (68 °F), though it may fall to 7 °C (45 °F) in the winter, and perhaps lower. Axolotls also require a high altitude body of water surrounded by a risky terrestrial environment. This habitat should also be home to the axolotl's natural prey, such as worms, insects, and small fish
Such conditions are thought to favor neoteny, which is the retention of juvenile features in the adult animal.