Axolotls are native exclusively to the freshwater lakes and canals in the Valley of Mexico, specifically Lake Xochimilco and the now mostly drained Lake Chalco. Historically, they also inhabited Lake Texcoco and other interconnected lakes in the Mexican Central Valley, but urbanization and drainage of these lakes have severely reduced their natural habitat

. Today, Lake Xochimilco remains the primary natural habitat for axolotls, although it exists mainly as a network of canals rather than a large lake. These high-altitude waters provide the cool, still aquatic environment axolotls require. Due to habitat destruction, pollution, and invasive species, wild axolotls are critically endangered and rarely seen in the wild

. In summary, axolotls are native to:

• Lake Xochimilco (main current habitat)
• Lake Chalco (mostly drained)
• Historically, Lake Texcoco and other connected lakes in the Valley of Mexico

They are endemic to this region of Central Mexico and do not naturally occur elsewhere