I own 20 axolotls - people need to know they're hard to care for

When Emma Honeyfield's daughter Amber asked for an axolotl for her birthday, Emma never imagined it would lead to a collection of 20. The 37-year-old bought her daughter's first axolotl, Stitch, in September and has since fallen in love with their "calming" nature. Emma said Amber, eight, had always been difficult to buy for, so when she asked for one for her birthday, she couldn't say no. And the family, from Tredegar, Blaenau Gwent, are far from alone in seeking out the amphibians, which are critically endangered and only found in lakes and wetlands in southern Mexico City. The animal's cute, smiling face and appearance in the hugely popular Minecraft and Roblox games has seen an increase in the number of people keeping them as pets. With as few as 50 to 1,000 left globally in the wild, experts want people to know how to care for these creatures properly before rushing out to buy one as they can live for up to 20 years. Tara Costellow, who runs the Axolotl and Reptile Rescue Centre in Evesham, Worcestershire, said they were "majestic animals" but could be "overwhelming". Despite their scarcity in the wild, a 10-year-old girl found a nine-inch Mexican axolotl under a bridge near t