I have been fascinated with axolotls since childhood, when I inherited an old wildlife book of strange animals. Unfortunately, I no longer have that book to share a picture of it, but one of the animals featured was of a leucistic axolotl. The image of this animal really piqued my interest and I could scarcely believe that such a weird-looking animal could exist in reality. Back in those days, there was no internet and I could find no further reference to such a thing as an axolotl throughout the entirety of my childhood. I believe that this was the first instance in my life that I felt the sense that there was something fascinating in the world that my mind had trouble grasping, and set up my interest in seeking out the extraordinary in the world.