News Excerpt:

Mexican ecologists have started a campaign to save Axolotl.

About:

• Axolotl are aquatic salamanders native to Mexico.
• They are found in high-altitude lakes and water bodies.
• They are also known as "water monsters”.
• These species are carnivorous so they primarily eat live or frozen food, such as earthworms, bloodworms, and small fish.
• These cute amphibians with the unique appearance of a perpetual smile have become popular pets across the region.
• IUCN Status: The International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) has classified the axolotl as a critically endangered species since 2006.

Significance:

• Cultural Value:  They have been an important symbol of Mexican culture for centuries as they are named after Xolotl, the Aztec god of fire and lightning.

• Regenerative Abilities: They have an incredible ability to regenerate cells and body parts. They can even grow back missing limbs, tails, organs, parts of the eye, and even portions of the brain.
• Medical Research: They could be significant, particularly in tissue repair and cancer recovery. Previously, Axolotls were central to understanding how organs develop and function in vertebrates. For instance, they helped scientists understand the causes of spina bifida in humans – a birth defect in which the spine doesn’t form properly.

 Major Threats:

Their population density has plummeted by an alarming 99.5% in less than two decades. They went from 6000 per square km to 36 per square km. 

• Water pollution: They are sensitive to water quality and temperature, and thus maintaining clean water is crucial. Poor waste regulations have led to trash, plastics, heavy metals, and high levels of ammonia spilling from waste-treatment plants clogging the canals where the axolotls live. 

• Lethal amphibian fungus: They are prone to fungal skin infections, which are primarily caused by living in dirty waters.

• Invasive Species: Rainbow trout, Carp, and Tilapia were introduced in the 1970s to provide food for the rural areas and thus, led to a decline in Axototl numbers.

• Rapid Urbanization: The axolotl is native to Lake Xochimilco and Lake Chalco in the Valley of Mexico. Lake Chalco was drained to allow for urban expansion, while all that remains of Lake Xochimilco are swampy remnants.

• • In the wild, all 18 species of Axototls found in Mexic’s Lake Xochimilco and Lake Chalco, have become critically endangered and are on the verge of extinction because of pollution, habitat degradation, and water diversion due to urbanization.

• Overfishing: They are considered a delicacy in Mexican cuisine which has led to them being overfished.

While it is necessary to save this species from extinction, the Mexican government has recently approved an 11% funding cut for its environment department, which has been a cause of worry for ecologists worldwide.

• Conservationists are trying to help the axolotl by building “shelters” in Xochimilico with stacks of rocks and reedy plants to help filter clean water that is pumped in.