At first glance, the plush toy seemed otherworldly, but it depicts an amphibian, an axolotl.

My wife and I just recently returned from a week-long vacation sojourn to the U.S. Rocky Mountain West. One memorable part of that trip was a visit to the fabled crash landing site of an alien spaceship, replete with lots of unconscious green Martians being carted away on military stretchers. Of course, it was all in good fun. Thanks for the laugh, Roswell, New Mexico.

What most caught my eye, however, was the sight of what was being offered for sale in the gift shop. It was a plush toy that was intended for children's enjoyment. At first glance, it almost suggested the make-believe world of unicorns and Loch Ness monsters. Upon closer inspection, I realized that it was the toy-maker's rendition of an honest-to-goodness, real-life creature from Mother Nature's menagerie. It was a plaything that depicted an axolotl. These amphibians have air-breathing gills protruding from their cheeks ... in their adolescence as well as in the adult version of their lives.

The sight of this toy made me chuckle. It is but one more example of Mother Nature's whimsical sense of humor.

Neil Garrison was the longtime naturalist at a central Oklahoma nature center. His email is atlatlgarrison@hotmail.com.