Wildlife Wednesdays: Axolotl
By: Lorelai Klinger & Jennifer Martin, researched by Hal Dittbrenner
Scientific Name: Ambystoma mexicanum
Classification:
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Class: Amphibia
- Family: Ambystomatidae
Population Number: Fewer than 1,000 in the wild
The axolotl is a carnivorous amphibian native to Lake Xochimilco in Mexico. The feather-like branches on the sides of an axolotl’s head are its gills, allowing it to breathe underwater. However, axolotls also have lungs, giving them the ability to breathe out of water as well. Axolotl anatomy is very unique due to neoteny, which is a term used to describe animals that keep their juvenile characteristics until adulthood and go through few or no phases of change.
The axolotl was culturally significant to the Aztec people in Mexico. In Aztec myths, the god of fire, lightning, and death, Xolotl, was afraid to sacrifice himself to keep the sun moving, so he transformed himself into an axolotl to hide.
Axolotls have been surging in popularity in recent years, especially on social media. With their adorable pink coloring and smiling faces, they have taken the world by storm. However, not many know about the dangers axolotls face. There are fewer than 1,000 axolotls left in the wild due to habitat loss, water pollution, and invasive species. Axolotls are also bred in captivity, where they are used for food or sold as pets. Over the years, there has been very little improvement on the conditions of Lake Xochimilco nor the axolotl population—but there still is hope. One strategy currently being implemented to help the axolotl population is to breed more in captivity. Scientists in Mexico are focusing more on conservation efforts, breeding axolotls in captivity, then releasing them into new habitats in order to create new spaces for them to thrive. The Laboratorio de Restauración Ecológica in the Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico (LRE UNAM) has curated a population of over 100 captive-bred axolotls. These individuals are mostly used for research by the lab, but the UNAM has established plans to create a semi-artificial wetland inside the university. This wetland would provide space for the university to continue breeding axolotls.
Various studies have shown that axolotls bred in captivity but raised in a semi-natural environment have the abilities to escape predators, hunt prey, and survive in the wild. This is fantastic news, as this means that the UNAM’s semi-artificial wetland will hopefully provide a place for a new axolotl population to thrive! Once these new axolotls are ready, they will then be introduced to non-polluted bodies of water or back into Lake Xochimilco to establish a healthier and stronger wild axolotl population.
For more information about axolotls, check out our sources: