In Mexico, ecologists going all out to save the iconic ‘water monster’
- November 28, 2023
- Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
- Category: DPN Topics
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In Mexico, ecologists going all out to save the iconic ‘water monster’
Subject : Environment
Section: Species in news
Context:
- Ecologists from Mexico’s National Autonomous University relaunched a fundraising campaign to bolster conservation efforts for axolotls.
About Axolotls:
- It is an iconic, endangered fish-like type of salamander.
- It is a paedomorphic salamander closely related to the tiger salamander.
- It reaches adulthood without undergoing metamorphosis. Instead of taking to the land, adults remain aquatic and gilled.
- Almost all 18 species of axolotls in Mexico are critically endangered and considered to be near extinction.
- Mexican axolotl is found in Lake Xochimilco, but other species can be found across the country, from valley of Mexico to the Sonora desert.
- They have unique, admittedly slimy, appearance and uncanny ability to grow limbs.
- Threats- Encroaching water pollution, deadly amphibian fungus (Chrytid fungus, it is a skin-eating disease) and non-native rainbow trout.
About the Campaign:
- The campaign is called- Adoptaxolotl
- It asks people for as little as 600 pesos (about $35) to virtually adopt one of the tiny monsters. The virtual adoption comes with live updates on your axolotl’s health.
- In their main habitat, the population density of Mexican axolotls has decreased by 99.5% in under two decades.