In the back of science teacher Zack Shinkle’s room, there’s a special looking creature.

It’s none other than an Axolotl, a special fish named Luca. 

“I thought it looked kind of weird, but I think they’re really interesting looking,” senior WIlliam Henderson said.

Shinkle bought Luca, which is 1 ½ years old, at Tails and Scales.

Never heard of an Axolotl?

You’re not alone.

“They are native to only one lake in Mexico,” Shinkle said.

Pollution and other factors have led to Axolotls being near extinction in their natural habitat. 

“They’ve been bred enough so that they’re not endangered in captivity, but they’re endangered in the wild,” Shinkle said.

Luca has a special feature that makes him even more unique than even the average Axolotl.

“He’s an Albino GFP Axolotl, which means that he has a glow,” Shinkle said.

That’s right. Luca glows under specific circumstances.

“Especially its ribcage glows in the UV light because that specific Axolotl has a specific protein in it,” Henderson said.

Luca has especially made a mark on the students of Shinkle.

“The students really enjoy him, especially I’ve let them start to feed him,” Shinkle said

“During free time they’ll go in the back and sit and watch to see what he’s doing,”

“Axolotl’s are a little more work to take care of, I have to have specific parameters,”

“He isn’t like your normal dog or cat where you can actually handle him,”

“He’s very much a look with your eyes not your hands type of animal,” 

“When you have a fish they’re just swimming there 24/7, but with an Axolotl, it does interact with you a bit,” Henderson said.