Chloe—eldest and most mystifying of the Sibylla siblings—spent her life studying and documenting a single subject: the axolotl. Much of Chloe’s intriguing story is yet to be deciphered, but we were able to glean the following information from her extensive writings.

In her youth Chloe appears to have discovered a colony of axolotls living in the chill waters of remote mountain lake near the center of the Montana territory. She was instantly enchanted by these quirky creatures and embarked upon a lifelong exploration and documentation of the axolotl, also known as the Mexican Walking Fish, and the entrancing story behind its appearance so far from its southern home.

Chloe traveled to Mexico City with her younger brother Maxwell to visit this unique creature’s original habitat. In this ancient city built upon a disappearing lake, they explored its fascinating ruins and discovered extensive canal systems teeming with tiny axolotls. They also appear to have encountered a venerable and enigmatic curandera who presented them with mysterious gifts.

From her writings, we know that the curandera’s gift to Chloe–a peculiar looking glass–revealed precarious prophecies for both the axolotl and the planet. Chloe became convinced that the fate of both was in human hands. Upon her return home, inspired to share her newfound knowledge, she began work on the cabinet you see before you. It is filled with artifacts, sketches, tools, field notes, photographs, dioramas, and meticulous observations of this tiny amphibian. Curious visitors are invited to read the papers included in this cabinet to learn more.

Notes: Axolotls (pronounced “ak-suh-laa-tuls”) are charmingly odd, highly endangered amphibians with feathery gills and big smiles named after Xolotl, the Aztec god of fire and lightning. We now know that they are an indicator species, meaning their health may be an indicator of the overall health of the ecosystem in which they live.

Visitors eager to further investigate, appreciate, and protect this magical, mystical and most amazing contributor to scientific understanding will find Chloe’s Paradoxical Axolotl collection a gateway to a growing community of adoring Axolotl aficionados.