Latest news with #Xolotl
National Geographic
17-06-2025
- Science
- National Geographic
Axolotl
Scientific Name: Ambystoma mexicanum Average Life Span In The Wild: 10 to 15 years Size relative to a teacup: According to legend, the axolotl is the Aztec god of fire and lightning, Xolotl, who disguised himself as a salamander to avoid being sacrificed. But these amphibians are impressive enough on their own. Axolotls (pronounced ACK-suh-LAH-tuhl) can regenerate lost limbs and have a life cycle that allows them to stay 'young' their whole lives, a phenomenon called neoteny. Their youthful traits include feathery gills sprouting from their heads like a mane, webbed feet, a dorsal fin that runs down the length of their body, and a tail. Though they keep these external gills, adults also have functional lungs and can breathe through their skin. And as if being forever-babies didn't make them cute enough, they wear a permanent Mona Lisa smile. A popular oddity These cute critters have long fascinated the public, even more so when they were first brought from Mexico to Paris in 1864. Europeans across the continent began breeding them. That began a robust pet trade in the animals, which breed easily in captivity. In the wild, they're mostly grayish-brown in color. Lighter colored specimens, especially those with white bodies and pink gills, are usually bred as pets. Yet in most countries, axolotls cannot be traded across international borders, partly because of poaching concerns. They're illegal to own in some parts of the United States for the same reason. Some are also concerned that they may escape captivity and interbreed with native salamanders. Thanks to their regenerative abilities, axolotls are a common research subject for biologists. They can regrow lost or damaged limbs, hearts, spinal cords, and even parts of their brains—all without permanent scarring. Since scarring prevents tissue from regenerating, finding out how and why axolotls don't scar could unlock human's ability to regenerate tissue. One study deciphered how the axolotl's molecules communicate to promote regeneration. A 2025 study may have cracked the code. A particular enzyme and gene work with retinoic acid to grow the right body part in the right spot. (Scientists may have found the key to amphibian regeneration.) Axolotl reproduction and behavior Axolotls are solitary creatures, but they reach sexual maturity at a year old. Their spawning season in the wild is in February. Males seek out females, possibly using pheromones, and perform a courtship 'hula' dance. He shakes his tail and lower body. She responds by nudging him with her snout. The male then deposits spermatophores, or sperm packets, on the lake floor, which the female picks up with her cloaca, a body cavity, and fertilizes her eggs. Females can lay up to a thousand eggs (though the average is about 300) on plant material or rocks, which protects them from predators. After two weeks, they hatch and, with no parental care, the larvae are off and swimming on their own. There's a theory for why axolotls don't change appearance as adults. Because their native lakes never dry up, as is the case for many other water bodies, axolotls didn't have to trade in their aquatic traits, such as a tadpole-like tail, for terrestrial ones, such as legs. (Axolotls and capybaras are TikTok famous—and that could be a problem.) Axolotl habitat and diet These lentic amphibians live and breed in Lake Xochimilco and Lake Chalco, located just south of Mexico City. During the day, axolotls hide from predators by burrowing in the mud or hanging out among aquatic plants. They become active at night, when their sweet little smiles quickly turn into vacuum cleaners. Axolotls suck in their prey, which includes crustaceans, mollusks, insect eggs, and small fish. They may also suck up gravel, which can help grind up the food in their belly. Conservation and threats An assessment by the International Union for the Conservation of Species found that only 50 to a thousand axolotls are left in the wild. And their numbers are dropping. They once inhabited the high-altitude lakes around Mexico City, but habitat degradation has limited them to a few inland canals in the area. Further habitat loss from tourism and residential housing development, in addition to agricultural and industrial pollution, have drastically reduced the axolotl population. So has the introduction of tilapia and other invasive fish species, which eat baby salamanders and compete with adults for food. The Mexican government, as well as many nonprofits, are trying to save Mexican axolotls, in part by restoring parts of their freshwater natural habitat and offering ecotourism for people to see the quirky salamanders in the wild. For instance, Luis Zambrano, a leading axolotl researcher at the National Autonomous University of Mexico, is working with scientists and farmers to create chinampas, floating islands made of water plants, logs, and lake mud that help filter the polluted water. Some travel companies offer tours of these gardens, whose proceeds support axolotl conservation efforts in the area. (Here's how farmers and scientists are saving the axolotl in Mexico City.) Fascinating facts about axolotls (Learn how Mexican nuns are helping to save axolotls.) See axolotls in the wild According to legend, this 'water monster' was a god who disguised himself as a salamander to avoid sacrifice. Nowadays, it is critically endangered in the wild because of the pollution and urban sprawl that threaten its habitat in the Mexican Basin. Is it OK to have an axolotl as a pet? You can legally own one from a reputable breeder, supplier, or rescue organization. Some states in America prohibit owning even legally obtained exotic pets or require a permit. Axolotls bred in captivity are typically pink or white, instead of brown. —World Wildlife Fund Why can't you touch axolotls? In general, you should not touch or handle axolotls unnecessarily. Their delicate skin is permeable, which means anything from natural oils to soap residue can cause harm. Additionally, their bodies are primarily made of cartilage, making them highly vulnerable to injury. —Environmental Literacy Council Do axolotls live in the U.S.? They are not native to the United States. They are endemic to southern Mexico City, in Xochimilco and Chalco Lakes. —The Natural History Museum U.K. Why did my axolotl turn into a salamander? It is extremely rare for wild axolotls to turn into salamanders. Environmental changes can cause a transformation and certain genetic traits can make some animals more prone to metamorphosis. In captivity, iodine or thyroid hormones can induce metamorphosis. However, doing so can cause stress and shorten the life of these fragile creatures, leading to ethical questions. Experts strongly discourage inducing metamorphosis. —Environmental Literacy Council Do axolotls have teeth? Yes, they have small, underdeveloped teeth. However, they eat by sucking in food. —PBS This story originally published on September 10, 2010. It was updated on June 17, 2025.
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Can Mexico bring back the endangered axolotl?
One of the world's most endangered amphibians – the primordial and fish-like axolotl – has successfully adapted to a new environment after being released into artificial wetlands in Mexico, scientists say. In a study that provides hope for the survival of the Ambystoma mexicanuma, a creature that has been pushed to the brink of extinction by pollution and human activity, scientists recently released 18 captive-bred axolotls into two artificial wetlands close to Mexico City. Researchers fitted the smiley-face amphibians with trackers and found they were feeding at both sites. Lead researcher Alejandra Ramos from the Autonomous University of Baja California told the BBC it was an 'amazing result'. The findings were published in the journal PLoS One and suggest the axolotl can be successfully restored to its native has it that the axolotl was not always an amphibian. Long before it became Mexico's most beloved salamander, it was believed to be the embodiment of the Aztec god of fire and lightning, Xolotl. While there are no official estimates on its current population, the species – which is endemic to central Mexico – was classed as 'critically endangered' by the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List of Threatened Species in 2019. They breathe through their gills and skin, which allows them to adapt to their aquatic environment. They can also regenerate parts of their heart, spinal cord and brain. The salamander's skin is typically dark although an albino variety can be bred. They can stay stock still for hours in their natural habitat, buried in mud to conserve energy and wait for prey. In their main stronghold, Lake Xochimilco, located in the southern part of Mexico City, axolotl numbers have plummeted by 99.5 percent in less than two decades. In 1998, researchers estimated there were 6,000 axolotls per square kilometre in Lake Xochimilco. By 2014, this number had dropped to just 36. Mexico is a biodiversity hotspot for amphibians and reptiles owing to its unique and varied habitats from tropical rainforests and deserts to cloud forests and temperate woodlands. The waters of Xochimilco, once used for traditional farming and flushed with spring water from the mountains, used to teem with large, smiley-faced axolotls. But pollution from Mexico City's expanding urban sprawl has damaged the water quality of the city's canals, which flow into the lakes. Furthermore, rainbow trout, which have escaped from nearby farms, have displaced axolotls in lakes around the capital and eaten their food. Researchers have also found that increasing numbers of axolotls have died from chytrid fungus, a skin-eating disease causing a catastrophic reduction in amphibian numbers in other parts of the world from Europe to Australia. The fungus has also been found in Mexico although it is not yet a major problem. Climate change is another factor threatening the axolotl as even small shifts in temperature and rainfall can disrupt ecosystems and erode biodiversity. In 2013, scientists voiced fears that they might disappear altogether by 2025. The axolotl isn't the only species in Mexico facing an uncertain future. The pine forest stream frog, the clarion night snake and the Mexican alligator lizard are some of the other species that are also critically lay the foundations for the rewilding project, researchers meticulously monitored the ecology of the axolotls to establish their ideal living conditions. Then they worked with local farmers and a team of volunteers to create wetland 'refuges', or artificial wetlands, near Xochimilco by installing natural filtering systems to clean the water. The scientists then released the amphibians into two types of wetland environments: restored natural wetlands and the artificial wetlands designed specifically for conservation purposes. These environments differ in their ecological structure, water chemistry and temperatures, variables that are critical determinants of amphibian physiology and behaviour. The axolotls were tagged with radio tracking devices to keep tabs on the amphibians. One of the key findings from the study was the axolotls' ability to navigate and inhabit both artificial and restored wetland ecosystems effectively. While biologists and officials have led efforts to save the species and its habitat from extinction, a parallel, unexpected preservation phenomenon has emerged in recent years as the creature has benefitted from an unexpected resurgence of interest. The axolotl attracted international attention after the Minecraft computer game added the creature in 2021. That same year, the Bank of Mexico also decided to print an image of the animal on the 50-peso bill. Axolotls can now be spotted all over Mexico on murals, clothing and as children's toys. Some bakeries have caused a sensation with their axolotl-shaped cakes and biscuits. 'If we lose this species, we lose part of our Mexican identity,' co-lead researcher Luis Zambrano from the National University of Mexico told the BBC. Climate change, habitat loss and outbreaks of disease have taken their toll on amphibians around the world. Half of all amphibian species are in decline while a third are threatened with extinction. The team overseeing the axolotl study said public funding is key to preventing the loss of other species as well. Over his six-year term, however, Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, who was in office from 2018 to 2024, reduced funding to the Secretariat of Environment and Natural Resources by 35 percent. While scientists involved in the project hope to restore the axolotl's population, they also highlighted the need for government, business and individual engagement. 'Many animals are losing their habitat around the world,' Ramos said. 'And restoration projects are not easy, but they can be done. They just need a lot of people.'
Al Jazeera
01-05-2025
- Science
- Al Jazeera
Can Mexico bring back the endangered axolotl?
One of the world's most endangered amphibians – the primordial and fish-like axolotl – has successfully adapted to a new environment after being released into artificial wetlands in Mexico, scientists say. In a study that provides hope for the survival of the Ambystoma mexicanuma, a creature that has been pushed to the brink of extinction by pollution and human activity, scientists recently released 18 captive-bred axolotls into two artificial wetlands close to Mexico City. Researchers fitted the smiley-face amphibians with trackers and found they were feeding at both sites. Lead researcher Alejandra Ramos from the Autonomous University of Baja California told the BBC it was an 'amazing result'. The findings were published in the journal PLoS One and suggest the axolotl can be successfully restored to its native habitat. Legend has it that the axolotl was not always an amphibian. Long before it became Mexico's most beloved salamander, it was believed to be the embodiment of the Aztec god of fire and lightning, Xolotl. While there are no official estimates on its current population, the species – which is endemic to central Mexico – was classed as 'critically endangered' by the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List of Threatened Species in 2019. They breathe through their gills and skin, which allows them to adapt to their aquatic environment. They can also regenerate parts of their heart, spinal cord and brain. The salamander's skin is typically dark although an albino variety can be bred. They can stay stock still for hours in their natural habitat, buried in mud to conserve energy and wait for prey. In their main stronghold, Lake Xochimilco, located in the southern part of Mexico City, axolotl numbers have plummeted by 99.5 percent in less than two decades. In 1998, researchers estimated there were 6,000 axolotls per square kilometre in Lake Xochimilco. By 2014, this number had dropped to just 36. Mexico is a biodiversity hotspot for amphibians and reptiles owing to its unique and varied habitats from tropical rainforests and deserts to cloud forests and temperate woodlands. The waters of Xochimilco, once used for traditional farming and flushed with spring water from the mountains, used to teem with large, smiley-faced axolotls. But pollution from Mexico City's expanding urban sprawl has damaged the water quality of the city's canals, which flow into the lakes. Furthermore, rainbow trout, which have escaped from nearby farms, have displaced axolotls in lakes around the capital and eaten their food. Researchers have also found that increasing numbers of axolotls have died from chytrid fungus, a skin-eating disease causing a catastrophic reduction in amphibian numbers in other parts of the world from Europe to Australia. The fungus has also been found in Mexico although it is not yet a major problem. Climate change is another factor threatening the axolotl as even small shifts in temperature and rainfall can disrupt ecosystems and erode biodiversity. In 2013, scientists voiced fears that they might disappear altogether by 2025. The axolotl isn't the only species in Mexico facing an uncertain future. The pine forest stream frog, the clarion night snake and the Mexican alligator lizard are some of the other species that are also critically endangered. To lay the foundations for the rewilding project, researchers meticulously monitored the ecology of the axolotls to establish their ideal living conditions. Then they worked with local farmers and a team of volunteers to create wetland 'refuges', or artificial wetlands, near Xochimilco by installing natural filtering systems to clean the water. The scientists then released the amphibians into two types of wetland environments: restored natural wetlands and the artificial wetlands designed specifically for conservation purposes. These environments differ in their ecological structure, water chemistry and temperatures, variables that are critical determinants of amphibian physiology and behaviour. The axolotls were tagged with radio tracking devices to keep tabs on the amphibians. One of the key findings from the study was the axolotls' ability to navigate and inhabit both artificial and restored wetland ecosystems effectively. While biologists and officials have led efforts to save the species and its habitat from extinction, a parallel, unexpected preservation phenomenon has emerged in recent years as the creature has benefitted from an unexpected resurgence of interest. The axolotl attracted international attention after the Minecraft computer game added the creature in 2021. That same year, the Bank of Mexico also decided to print an image of the animal on the 50-peso bill. Axolotls can now be spotted all over Mexico on murals, clothing and as children's toys. Some bakeries have caused a sensation with their axolotl-shaped cakes and biscuits. 'If we lose this species, we lose part of our Mexican identity,' co-lead researcher Luis Zambrano from the National University of Mexico told the BBC. Climate change, habitat loss and outbreaks of disease have taken their toll on amphibians around the world. Half of all amphibian species are in decline while a third are threatened with extinction. The team overseeing the axolotl study said public funding is key to preventing the loss of other species as well. Over his six-year term, however, Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, who was in office from 2018 to 2024, reduced funding to the Secretariat of Environment and Natural Resources by 35 percent. While scientists involved in the project hope to restore the axolotl's population, they also highlighted the need for government, business and individual engagement. 'Many animals are losing their habitat around the world,' Ramos said. 'And restoration projects are not easy, but they can be done. They just need a lot of people.'
Voice of America
22-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Voice of America
Ancient deity, pet, endangered species: Axolotl is Mexico's most beloved amphibian
Legend has it the axolotl was not always an amphibian. Long before it became Mexico's most beloved salamander and efforts to prevent its extinction flourished, it was a sneaky god. "It's an interesting little animal," said Yanet Cruz, head of the Chinampaxochitl Museum in Mexico City. Its exhibitions focus on the axolotl and chinampas, the pre-Hispanic agricultural systems resembling floating gardens that still function in Xochimilco, a neighborhood on Mexico City's outskirts famed for its canals. "Despite there being many varieties, the axolotl from the area is a symbol of identity for the native people," said Cruz, who participated in activities hosted at the museum to celebrate "Axolotl Day" in early February. While there are no official estimates of the current axolotl population, the species Ambystoma mexicanum — endemic to central Mexico — has been listed as "critically endangered" by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species since 2019. And though biologists, historians and officials have led efforts to save the species and its habitat from extinction, a parallel, unexpected preservation phenomenon has emerged. Axolotl, which is also the plural form, attracted international attention after Minecraft added them to its game in 2021 and Mexicans went crazy about them that same year, following the Central Bank's initiative to print it on the 50-peso bill. "That's when the 'axolotlmania' thrived," Cruz said. All over Mexico, the peculiar, dragonlike amphibian can be spotted in murals, crafts and socks. Selected bakeries have caused a sensation with axolotl-like bites. Even a local brewery — "Ajolote" in Spanish — took its name from the salamander to honor Mexican traditions. Before the Spaniards conquered Mexico-Tenochtitlan in the 16th century, axolotl may not have had archeological representations as did Tlaloc — god of rain in the Aztec worldview — or Coyolxauhqui — its lunar goddess — but it did appear in ancient Mesoamerican documents. In the Nahua myth of the Fifth Sun, pre-Hispanic god Nanahuatzin threw himself into a fire, reemerged as the sun and commanded fellow gods to replicate his sacrifice to bring movement to the world. All complied but Xolotl, a deity associated with the evening star, who fled. "He was hunted down and killed," said Arturo Montero, archaeologist of the National Commission of Protected Natural Areas. "And from his death came a creature: axolotl." According to Montero, the myth implies that, after a god's passing, its essence gets imprisoned in a mundane creature, subject to the cycles of life and death. Axolotl then carries within itself the Xolotl deity, and when the animal dies and its divine substance transits to the underworld, it later resurfaces to the earth and a new axolotl is born. "Axolotl is the twin of maize, agave and water," Montero said. Current fascination toward the axolotl and its rise to sacred status in pre-Hispanic times is hardly a coincidence. It was most likely sparked by its exceptional biological features, Montero said. Through the glass of a fish tank, where academic institutions preserve them and hatcheries put them up for sale, axolotl are hard to spot. Their skin is usually dark to mimic stones — though an albino, pinkish variety can be bred — and they can stay still for hours, buried in the muddy ground of their natural habitats or barely moving at the bottom of their tanks in captivity. Aside from their lungs, they breathe through their gills and skin, which allows them to adapt to their aquatic environment. And they can regenerate parts of its heart, spinal cord and brain. "This species is quite peculiar," said biologist Arturo Vergara, who supervises axolotl preservation efforts in various institutions and cares after specimens for sale at a hatchery in Mexico City. Depending on the species, color and size, the axolotl's prices at Ambystomania — where Vergara works — start at 200 pesos ($10 US). Specimens are available for sale when they reach 4 inches in length and are easy pets to look after, Vergara said. "While they regularly have a 15-year life span [in captivity], we've had animals that have lived up to 20," he added. "They are very long-lived, though in their natural habitat they probably wouldn't last more than three or four years." The species on display at the museum — one of 17 known varieties in Mexico — is endemic to lakes and canals that are currently polluted. A healthy population of axolotl would likely struggle to feed or reproduce. "Just imagine the bottom of a canal in areas like Xochimilco, Tlahuac, Chalco, where there's an enormous quantity of microbes," Vergara said. Under ideal conditions, an axolotl could heal itself from a snake or heron bite and survive the dry season buried in the mud. But a proper aquatic environment is needed for that to happen. "Efforts to preserve axolotl go hand in hand with preserving the chinampas," Cruz said at the museum, next to a display featuring salamander-shaped dolls. "We work closely with the community to convince them that this is an important space." In addition to being places where axolotl lay eggs, chinampas are areas where pre-Hispanic communities grew maize, chili, beans and zucchini, and some of Xochimilco's current population grow vegetables despite environmental threats. "Many chinampas are dry and don't produce food anymore," Cruz said. "And where some chinampas used to be, one can now see soccer camps." For her, like for Vergara, preserving the axolotl is not an end, but a means for saving the place where the amphibian came to be. "This great system [chinampas] is all that's left from the lake city of Mexico-Tenochtitlan, so I always tell our visitors that Xochimilco is a living archaeological zone," Cruz said. "If we, as citizens, don't take care of what's ours, it will be lost."
