Psst! Hey, Smarty pants!
Question! Do you like superhero movies?
You do? Me too! I was just thinking I'd love to create my own big -screen superhero that could share the spotlight with Spider -Man, Wonder Woman, and whatever Groot is.
Have you ever thought about creating your own superhero, Smarty pants?
Awesome! Well, today I'm holding auditions slash interviews for anyone who thinks they've got what it takes to become the world's next famous super hero.
Okay. The first applicant on my list is someone named...
Um, wow. I've never seen this name before, smarty -pants.
It's spelled A -X -O -L -O -T -L.
Axolotl? Axolotl? Am I pronouncing that right?
Yep. Nailed it. The name's Axolotl, But you can just call me by my superhero character's name.
The Axolotl! Gotcha.
It's actually a pretty cool name.
If you don't mind me asking, what kind of name is Axolotl?
It's Aztec. Aztec? As in the legendary advanced civilization who dominated Central Mexico from 1300 to 1521?
That's right! In Aztec, my name means Water Monster!
Grrr. Grrr. Wow, I got to say, we're off to a great start here.
I'm going to give you an A plus for superhero name.
Now, I couldn't help but notice you're not exactly human.
Nope. I'm what's known as a penomorphic salamander, which makes me an amphibian.
But I'm also an Aztec god.
Excuse me? I can explain.
In Aztec culture, Zolotl, which is spelt like my name minus the A, was the god of fire and lightning.
According to myth, the Aztec gods have to sacrifice themselves to the sun if they wanted to keep it shining in the sky.
Well, Zolotl wasn't into that, so he disguised himself as a small salamander Specifically, an axolotl like me, so he could hide.
Ah, much like how Superman hides out as Clark Kent.
The Aztec God of Lightning turned into you!
Exactly! Well, I don't know how true that is, but I'm giving you an A -plus for a secret identity.
Of course, you're not exactly a big, powerful looking creature, like the Hulk or Drax the Destroyer.
Would you mind telling me your height and weight?
I can grow to be about a foot long and weigh about eight ounces.
So about as long as a 2 liter bottle of soda and weighing a little less than a can of soup.
Do you compare everything to food?
No, only around lunchtime.
Moving on, um, how would you describe your coloring?
Well, in the wild, I'm usually grayish brown, but I can adjust my color a bit to help me camouflage myself.
That's one of my superpowers.
Though I've got much cooler ones.
Great, we'll get to that in a minute.
First, I just need your home address.
I can only be found in one of two freshwater lakes in Mexico City, Lake Xochimilco and Lake Chalco.
But because of pollution and humans using up the water from the lakes, there are fewer and fewer of us every day.
In fact, we're now officially a critically endangered species.
That's why if I'm chosen as your new superhero, my first act will be to save the other Axolotls.
Oh wow! Not only do you have a cool origin story, you've got a noble heroic mission.
What do you think smarty -pants?
Does the Axolotl have what it takes to be the next big superhero?
Despite being kind of small?
I can swim 10 miles per hour!
Yes, yes. It seems we have a lot more to learn about you, Axolotl.
Like, what other superpowers do you have?
Who is your archenemy?
And what's with those odd looking gills?
It's time for another whiff of super science on Who Smarted.
Who Smarted? Who Smart?
Is it you? Is it me?
Is it science or history?
Listen up, everyone.
We make smarting lots of fun.
But who's smarter? Let me just say Axolotl, I think you've got a real unique look for a superhero.
And by that, I'm talking about your wide head, your lid -less eyes, and those six feathery gills sprouting from your neck that kind of make you look like you have a mane.
Oh, next for putting it that way.
Some people say my gills make me look like a potato that's starting to go bad.
Now who's talking about food?
Sorry. OK, let's get right to the good stuff.
What other superpowers do you have?
Are you familiar with the term regeneration?
Wait, you can regenerate?
No way. Way. Smarty Pants, what do you think regeneration is?
Is it the power to A, read minds, B, regrow lost body parts, or C, clone Kylie Jenner?
If you said B, you're right.
Creatures that can regenerate can grow back arms, legs, and tails that have been lost or damaged.
Yeah, that's pretty basic, narrator.
I the axolotl can also regenerate my heart lungs spinal cord and even parts of my eyes and brain whoa re growing stuff is so easy for us axolotls when we get hungry right after we first hatch we'll snack on the limbs of our siblings Oh gross hey it's all going to grow back anyway sure but still and get this you You could transplant organs or limbs from other axolotls onto me.
You could practically build me like I was a Lego set.
Oh, wow. This keeps getting better and better.
Hey, want to see my best trick?
Sure. OK. Pull my finger.
Nice try axolotl. But this is who's smarted.
We know that one. Just pull it.
Fine. Yep, it came off.
No problem. Watch. Now I'm going to do this a lot faster than usual for purposes of this demonstration.
Here we go. And now your finger is growing back thanks to regeneration.
And wait a minute, another one is growing too?
Ta -da. Axolotls can grow back multiple versions of whatever we lost. I'd like to see Thor try that.
Yeah, that's wild! How exactly do you do it?
T .B .H., I don't know and neither do scientists, but they'd love to find out.
So maybe one day, people could grow back lost body parts!
That's why axolotls are used a lot in medical research. Well, I can't think of any other superhero with that particular skill so that'll help you stand out from the crowd.
Oh! I'm not done. You have other super powers?
Yep. Ever heard of nyotny?
No? Smarty pants? Do you know?
What's that? It's the power to never age.
Really? Are you saying you can live forever?
Well, not exactly. Here's the deal.
Most amphibians start out as one thing and then change it to a different adult version.
For example, frogs start out as tadpoles living in the water, then turn into frogs that can live on land.
Ribbit, ribbit. Smarty Pants, do you know what that change is called?
It's a big word starting with M, and it rhymes with petaphorophysis.
Did you get it? It's called metamorphosis.
Well, axolotls never go through metamorphosis.
I stay stuck in my juvenile or larval stage my whole life.
Remember before when I said it was a pedomorphic salamander?
Well, pedomorphic means I retain my juvenile features as an adult.
I don't lose my gills, my tail and I never leave the water.
Basically I never grow up.
Hey, you're like Peter Pan.
Who's that? Is he trying out to be a superhero too?
No, he's already kind of a superhero.
Good. I really want to get this part.
And Neoteny is my ticket to the top.
and also my key to survival in the wild.
Hey, smarty pants. Why do you think the axolotl has a better chance of survival if it stays in its smaller juvenile form rather than growing up into a larger land animal?
I'll give you a clue.
Nom, nom, nom, nom, nom.
If you said it's because smaller creatures don't need as much food, you're right.
And if we live in places that don't have much food, we don't need to work as hard to keep our bellies full.
Oh, and speaking of eating, you're going to want to take a few steps back.
Whoa, what's going on?
Smarty pants, you're not going to believe what I'm seeing.
I'll explain right after this quick break.
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Now back to Who Smarted.
Shh. What is that noise?
What's happening? I'm snacking!
And now I'm full. Burp.
Wow, Axolotl, you're like a vacuum cleaner sucking up bugs and little fish?
Yep. I don't have to chew, which is good because my teeth are tiny.
Instead, I just close my gill flaps and start hoovering everything in sight.
With a superpower like that, I could see you fitting in with the Avengers, though they'd need to keep you away from Ant -Man.
Or he might be lunch. Haha, facts.
Excuse me. I just want to inhale some gravel on the lake bottom.
Gravel, huh? That's an interesting choice for dessert.
Why do you think the axolotl eats tiny rocks with the rest of its food, smarty pants?
Is it A, to grind up the food in its stomach?
B, to get more minerals in its diet?
Or C, to weigh itself down so it stays under water?
The answer, surprisingly is A!
Just like some birds, the axolotl purposely eats small rocks called gastroliths, which roll around in its stomach and help grind up the food there to make it easier to digest. I don't know about you trusty narrator, but a new superhero capable of regeneration, perpetual youth, and super suction sounds pretty cool to me.
I got to say, you've got a great look and some truly amazing super powers.
But there's one last thing to consider.
Every superhero needs an archenemy.
Who or what is yours?
Funny you should ask, Trusty.
I have a few arch -enemies, and I see one of them behind you!
Right now! Later! Um, Axolotl, come back.
I don't know what spooked the poor guy.
There's nothing behind me except the tilapia fish I'm having for lunch. Granted, it looks a little creepy with the head and tail still on it, but it certainly can't hurt anyone.
Hey, I'm back! Did you say that tilapia is going to be your lunch?
Yes! Oh good I thought I was going to be its lunch!
Tilapia love the taste of axolotl.
Storks too! So yeah if I became a superhero they'd be my Joker and catwoman.
Meow. Perfect! Of course, as I mentioned earlier, my biggest foe is the destruction of my habitat by humans.
I'd love to do a movie where me and some other superheroes team up to fight pollution.
I'd watch that. So what do you think, trusty?
Is... The Axolotl the next big screen superhero?
Actually, I just ran some numbers, and it's really, really expensive to make a superhero movie.
I might need to start out with something smaller.
Sorry. That's okay.
My agent just texted me.
They want me in the next Marvel film!
And I just got cast as Peter Pan in a new musical.
So it's all good. Later!
Looks like it's just you and me, Talapia.
A super shout out to Helena in Southampton, New York.
Hi Helena! Thanks so much for listening and learning along with me and all your friends at Who Smarted.
This episode of Axolotls was written by Steve Velcher and voiced by Alan Winter and Jerry Culvar Technical direction and sound design by Josh Hong Who Smarted is recorded and mixed at the Relic Room Studios.
Our associate producer is Max Kamaski.
The theme song is by Bryan Suarez.
The arc's written and performed by Adam Tex Davis.
Who Smartened was created and produced by Adam Tex Davis and Jerry Goldberg.
This has been an Atomic Entertainment production.
Who Smartened.
