"Axolotl is an Aztec word. This is a species of salamander but its pale colour and external gills meant that when first discovered, it was thought to be the tadpole of some much larger unknown reptile." - The Telegraph QI column, Saturday 10th Feb.
Amusingly followed by "To order a copy of The Book of General Ignorance ... call ... "
I know I'm always ranting on about careless fact-checking - but the whole premise of QI is to entertain with little-known factoids and trivia. So, one might assume they have a professional interest in getting it right - or knowing when they need to check with an expert.
Anyone who's studied biology at school knows the axolotl is an amphibian - don't they? Even if they don't - how many snakes, crocs, tortoises or lizards do you know of that hatch from tadpoles?
And in fact, they miss out the really interesting thing about an axolotl, which is that it demonstrates neoteny: the adult retains the aquatic tadpole form and never metamorphoses into the air-breathing form like most amphibians (frogs, toads, newts etc.)
Related links:
QI web site - where you can even hire a researcher. Let's hope they try a bit harder when paid!
Axolotls on Wikipedia
13/02/07 @ 17:52