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.