#lake chalco

[weirdcreaturefeed]

Weird Creature of the Day: Axolotl

Starting off strong with one of the world's most special amphibians, Ambystoma mexicanum!

Axolotls are a freshwater amphibian species native to wetlands & lakes surrounding Mexico City. Spanish colonizers drained these lakes in their conquest of the Aztec Empire, and current agriculture practices and industrialization in the region have further harmed axolotl populations. In present day, axolotls are only found in Lake Xochimilco and Lake Chalco. Both lakes are historic sites of chinampa style farming developed by Aztec agricultural scientists! (Look it up! It's really cool!)

The name axolotl comes from the Nahuatl language, the main language spoken by indigenous communities in the Mexican Central Valley at the time of Spanish colonization. The species is named after the Aztec deity Xolotl.

The species is considered critically endangered and on the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List of threatened species. The wild population adds up to 1000 individuals at most. Check out conservation efforts here.

Unlike most amphibians, axolotls don't go through metamorphosis (ex., the way tadpoles lose their gills & turn into frogs). They instead go through neoteny, meaning they reach sexual maturity without gaining the ability to go on land. This is because their thyroid doesn't produce the hormone that would start this process (it can be artificially induced, but is not recommended for the survival of the animal).

The axolotl genome is roughly 10x the size of the human genome! They stay winning!

Axolotls can regenerate their limbs, gills, and even parts of their brains! For life! This uncanny healing mechanism has made them the focus of many scientific studies.

Axolotls are the only amphibian to have an entire Google Doogle interactive game centered around them! Axolotls are also featured on the current 50 peso banknote (with chinampas!). They are also in Minecraft apparently

The designs for the Pokemon Mudkip and Wooper are partially inspired by them!

[zsl-edge-of-existence]

It may seem odd that the axolotl is an EDGE species, given that it is a popular pet and lab animal that is easily purchased at most exotic animal stores.  But the truth is that, in the wild, the axolotl is critically endangered.  They are found only in two lakes, Lake Xochimilco and Lake Chalco, both near Mexico City.  The recent spread of urbanization in the area, combined with increased water pollution and the introduction of invasive species into the waterways, has sent the population of wild axolotls into a catastrophic decline.

[zsl-edge-of-existence]

Although axolotls are popular pets, the wild population is critically endandered.  Some of the threats facing them include water pollution, harvesting for food, and predation by introduced fish species such as tilapia.  One of the lakes where axolotls used to live, Lake Chalco, has actually been drained and no longer exists.  The other, Lake Xochimilco has been almost entirely transformed into a series of canals.  None of this is helpful to the axolotl.