>>53739756Axolotls are salamanders and they figured an evolution for a salamander is probably a bigger salamander. So they went with a Japanese Giant Salamander styled to look more like Wooper as though it could have conceivably evolved from it (face, color, upright standing, etc). Thus, Quagsire became a big salamander with a cute simple face.
They revisited this idea with Clodsire, actually. Clodsire is more Giant Salamander looking than Quagsire is.
