The University of Kentucky’s Ambystoma Genetic Stock Center currently has over 1000 axolotls and sends 15-20,000 axolotl embryos per year to labs worldwide in an effort to increase the axolotl population.Īxolotls are raised in laboratories worldwide with the aim to reintroduce populations to the wild once their native habitats are restored. Axolotls in CaptivityĪxolotls are popular in the aquarium trade and they can also be found in zoos and scientific laboratories that, on the one hand, study axolotls for their regeneration capabilities and, on the other hand, focuses on keeping the species alive in laboratories and zoos. Unfortunately, this move further disrupted the natural habitat of axolotls by eating axolotl eggs and larvae and displacing them from their position of top predators in the area. The natural habitat of axolotls was further destroyed by the introduction of tilapia and carp fish by the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization to add more protein into the diet of local residents. ![]() While today, wild axolotls are native to the canals that lead to Lake Xochimilco and its swampy remnants, axolotls also used to be found in Lake Chalco, one of Mexico five “great lakes”, the settling place of ancient Aztecs.īy the 1970s, all but one lake (Lake Xochimilco) were drained to be turned into farmlands, to prevent flooding and for urbanization purposes. This is a dramatic decrease in numbers, which is made even worse by the fact that there’s also a culinary interest in the axolotl, since it’s considered a delicacy in Mexico, but also in other parts of the world like Japan, where it’s served deep-fried. In a study conducted by the Mexican Academy of Sciences in 2003 it was found that the axolotl density in the area was around 6,000 axolotls per sq km, while a similar study carried out in 2015 has found only 36 axolotls per sq km. Axolotls on the Verge of ExtinctionĪxolotls are on the IUCN red list of critically endangered species with a continued trend of population decline in the wild.ĭraining the lakes of Xochimilco for farming, the use of water-contaminating pesticides, and water pollution from nearby plants and from local residents has led to a catastrophic decline in axolotl populations. If you’re curious about the status of axolotls in the wild and you’d like to find out more about their natural habitat, in this article I’m going to discuss some interesting facts about where axolotls live, why they are an endangered species, and what can you do to help the preservation of this species. ![]() Therefore, they are a freshwater amphibian with a limited geographical distribution in the wild. ![]() Despite their “superpower”, this virtually immortal salamander is paradoxically headed for extinction.Īxolotls are native exclusively to the lake complex of Xochimilco, Mexico City. Axolotl Fun Facts Where do Axolotls Live in the Wild?Īxolotls are an aquatic salamander species with an amazing ability to regenerate lost limbs and damaged organs.
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