If smiling is indeed infectious, here’s one you’ll catch hook, line and sinker.This little rare Axolotl salamander has a lot to smile about- not least because it’s escaped the pollution that’s seen most of its brothers and sisters wiped out back home in the waters off Mexico.The species is near extinction out in the wild due to the pollution back home and the fact they are widely regarded as a tasty delicacy.The International Union for Conservation of Nature’s annual Red List of threatened species lists only two lakes still known to have specimens.This one is the main attraction at an Aquaria Fun Park in Steinerkirchen an der Traun, Austria.But this fish is more than just a pretty face.They are prized by scientists for their ability to grow new limbs when they are severed.The Axolotl can not only fully regenerate limbs but also internal organs, including it’s spine and part of its brain.It is thought the fish could eventually hold the key to human limb regeneration.
