A team of scientists from the UNAM led by the doctor in ecology Luis Zambrano has started the first census of wild axolotls in more than 10 years, after the last count carried out in 2014. “The objective of the census is to know the current state of the population of axolotls in the wild, a species that faces a critical danger of extinction according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature,” Zambrano explained.
According to Aztec mythology, the axolotl It is an aquatic monster (from Nahuatl: atl ‘water’ and xolotl ‘monster’). Biologically it is an enigmatic amphibian, out of the ordinary. He ambystoma mexicanumthe famous axolotl of Xochimilco, does not mature and can still reproduce. You can also regenerate your body. If a leg is cut off, it replaces it. It’s a prodigy. Unfortunately, it is in danger of extinction. But, scientists from the Ecological Restoration Laboratory of the UNAM Institute of Biology have, for years, had a plan to save it.
The axolotl population has decreased drastically in Xochimilco, going from 6,000 specimens per square kilometer in 1998 to just 36, according to the most recent data. The census, carried out between September and October 2024, aims to confirm the presence of the amphibian and generate key information to combat misinformation and guide conservation actions.
The recent sampling, carried out between September and October 2024, seeks not only to quantify the axolotl population, but also to confirm its presence in Xochimilco and generate solid data to combat misinformation. The final results will be published in the first half of 2025, and a new count is expected in 2026.
“What people say about axolotl sightings is important, but we need evidence to ensure their existence in the wild,” said Zambrano González, project leader.
Crisis factors: urbanization and invasive species
Zambrano and his team managed, after a few more years, to discover the three main causes of its extinction: the first was the introduction of carp and tilapiawhich quickly became pests, as fishing was prohibited in The second problem it’s pollution. They did an analysis of water pollution and realized that amphibians prefer places where the water quality is better. The third is stress that we humans cause to them, especially due to noise and light. When they get stressed, they get sick very quickly, and if they get sick they die very quickly.
Science teacher Vania Anaid Mendoza Solís, co-director of the study, pointed out that the axolotl faces a critical situation, aggravated by the serious deterioration of the ecosystem of Lake Xochimilco. During the census, researchers have evaluated old axolotl recording sites, analyzed environmental DNA and reviewed the water quality and biodiversity of the canals.
“The high density of tilapia that we have detected aggravates the situation of the axolotl, whose critical state reflects the deterioration of Xochimilco, an ecosystem vital to the quality of life in Mexico City,” Mendoza warned.
Conservation strategies
“Since we found these three reasons, we start with the Chinampa-Shelter Project. Axolotls have lived there for 1,500 years with chinampers; They were doing something right and we began to do it wrong in the middle of the last century. Taking advantage of the fact that the chinampas are rectangular and that Xochimilco is a labyrinth of canals, we put up a barrier that filtered the water and prevented the carp from entering; Throughout the canal, the quality of the water is improved, and invasive species are prevented from entering, while the chinampero prevents the area from being urbanized, which is a wonder, since the chinampería is not noisy, nor does it generate light,” explains Zambrano.
These refuges have special filters that improve the quality of the water and prevent the entry of carp and tilapia. Currently, these protected areas represent only 0.5% of Xochimilco’s canals, but they need to be expanded 200 times to guarantee a healthy wildlife population.
10 years ago they began with experiments in the shelters, they explored with the plants, with some specimens, with different filters, at the same time they offered solutions to the chinamperos, so that they avoid using agrochemicals, and instead use composts, and open a market so that farmers can sell their products. “We work with the chinamperos, restaurateurs and residents of Xochimilco to restore not only the biological part, but the socioeconomic part in a city of 20 million inhabitants that wants quick results, with a government that the last thing that interests it is the environment,” says the doctor in Ecology.
But society also needed to realize the problem. “People don’t have the link between the axolotl, which is on the bill and has become very famous internationally, with the one that lives in Xochimilco. So, he sees the very pretty axolotl and when he visits the canals of Xochimilco he goes to get drunk, takes his aunt for quesadillas, and plays on the soccer fields. “People go to urinate directly in the axolotl habitat,” explains Luis Zambrano, who was wondering how to semantically unite Xochimilco with the endangered amphibian. And he found a solution: a campaign to virtually adopt the axolotls.
Make your homeland and adopt an axolotl
In addition, a new edition of the campaign has just been launched “Adopt an axolotl”which allows people to sponsor one of the 130 specimens that live in laboratories, assign them a name and receive information about their development. It will also be possible to adopt a chinampa-refuge and visit it to learn more about the restoration efforts.
The campaign aims to promote the conservation of the species by raising funds for the maintenance of the chinampas-refuge in Xochimilco. This is achieved through the virtual adoption of the species, with options of varied duration: one month (600 pesos), six months (3,600 pesos) or one year (7,200 pesos). You can also support the cause with a contribution of 1,000 pesos to “tune up” their habitat or simply by inviting them to dinner for 200 pesos.
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