Ambystoma

Ambystoma is a genus of mole salamanders native to North America, comprising roughly thirty species within the family Ambystomatidae. Several species are notable for retaining paedomorphic, gilled larval traits into sexual maturity rather than fully metamorphosing, a phenomenon studied extensively in the Mexican axolotl (Ambystoma mexicanum), which has become a major research model for regeneration and developmental biology. Another well-known member, the tiger salamander (Ambystoma tigrinum and the closely related A. mavortium), is widely kept as a pet and serves as the official state amphibian in several US states. Members of the genus are generally stout-bodied, secretive burrowers found in forested and wetland habitats, breeding explosively in vernal pools after seasonal rains.