Axolotls are becoming very popular aquarium pets because of their unique and cute appearance with the flowing mane of gills attached to their head.
They have even been named ‘Toothless’ because they resemble the famous cartoon dragon from the movie “How to Tame Your Dragon.“
You would think, because of their popularity, there would be thousands upon thousands of axolotls, but I have some surprising news for you. Are axolotls endangered?
Axolotls have been classified as critically endangered species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and “face an extremely high risk of extinction” in the wild since their wild population is so low and declining rapidly.
Wow! What in the water world is going on here?
How are they going to become popular aquarium pets if they become extinct?
Let me explain.
Why Are Axolotls Endangered?
If axolotls are so popular, then why are they endangered? Well, the endangerment refers to the wild axolotls, not captive-bred axolotls that we call pets.
There are several reasons why axolotls are endangered.
Axolotls are endangered because of:
- Human Development
- Waste Water Disposal and Pollution
- Droughts
- Overfishing
- Invasive Species
- Inbreeding
These are all caused by citizens living along the canals of Mexico City’s Xochimilco district. These canals used to be lakes where the axolotl originated (which is why they are also called Mexican salamanders or Mexican Walking Fish). Several of the factors listed above have destroyed the large habitat that axolotls once lived in.
Did You Know? Axolotl got its name from Xolotl, the Aztec god of fire and lightning. According to Aztec mythology, Xolotl turned into an axolotl to escape from his fellow gods who were trying to sacrifice him. Turns out there’s still no respite for the Aztec god, seeing how axolotls are going extinct.
Human Development
This reason for axolotl endangerment is easy to explain. When the Spanish conquered the Aztec Empire in the 16thcentury, they drained lakes Xochimilco and Chalco in the Valley of Mexico to prevent flooding and for human expansion. These two lakes were the only native habitats of axolotls.
Lake Chalco was completely drained. Lake Xochimilco is now a ghost of its former self, reduced to canals that the axolotl now lives in. So you can imagine how much it would have affected the population of axolotl.
Waste Water Disposal and Pollution
Aside from draining Lake Xochimilco, something else rather strange is happening. This is best summed up by biologist Luis Zambrano,
The second threat is trickier. Every time a powerful storm fills the city’s ageing sewer system, treatment facilities release human waste into Xochimilco, carrying with it ammonia, heavy metals and untold other toxic chemicals.
Amphibians, which breathe in part through their highly permeable skin, are vulnerable to these regular pollution dumps. It’s a testament to the animal’s resilience that it exists in the wild at all.
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Droughts
In addition to citizens draining the wild axolotls’ water, droughts also contribute to the lake waters drying up. Droughts are part of the natural process, however. The problem arises when people drain the lake in conjunction with a drought, which would make the water level plummet really fast.
Overfishing
As if droughts, drainage, and pollution weren’t enough, people also eat axolotls!
They just can’t win! Axolotls are considered a delicacy in Mexico City and other parts of the world so they are actively fished for local supply and are exported.
Invasive Species
This issue is also best summed up by biologist Luis Zambrano.
Zambrano says that to save the wild axolotl, policymakers must address its two primary threats.
The first is non-native fish such as the common carp (Cyprinus carpio) and tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus).
Ironically, these were introduced to Xochimilco in the 1970s and 1980s through programs run by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, with the aim of getting more protein into local diets. Zambrano says he has mapped the areas where axolotls still remain; he envisions a team of local fishers being paid to sweep them of fish on an ongoing basis.
Although this wouldn’t remove all the fish, for a few hundred thousand dollars it might give the salamanders a window in which to re-establish themselves.
His work has shown that axolotls are most vulnerable to carp when they are at the egg stage, and to tilapia when they are juveniles, but reveals that if they can grow beyond a certain size, they might still thrive.
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Inbreeding
This is a problem with the captive-bred species that you find in your aquariums.
The captive-bred species all originated from small groups of axolotls, so they are too closely related when bred with each other.
Just like in humans, this is a bad thing. It causes the captive axolotls to have a different type of gene than the wild axolotls, which makes the captive-bred axolotls more susceptible to disease.
It may not seem like a big deal but if we end up with nothing but captive-bred axolotls, it means they would be more susceptible to large populations being wiped out.
“The problem is, having captive populations of axolotls is not enough”, says Randal Voss, a biologist at the University of Kentucky.
Voss, who maintains a collection of axolotls for distribution to labs around the world as Resource Director of the Ambystoma Genetic Stock Center, knows the problem intimately.
When he looks at his pedigree records, he knows the stock is inbred and thus has less genetic diversity due to the mating between related animals. In one sense, a homogeneous stock can be good for science, as it is much more likely to facilitate reproducible studies.
“On the other hand, it can compromise the health of a captive population,” Voss explains. Captive populations are more vulnerable to catastrophe.
Disease, or even an accidental fire, could wipe out an entire lab population almost instantaneously.
Between the inbreeding and efforts to cross the axolotl with the tiger salamander to introduce some genetic diversity, the collection is also very different than the wild populations; not only are their genomes different, but they are highly domesticated and adapted to humans.
Are Axolotls Endangered in 2024?
The last assessment of the IUCN was carried out in 2019, where they listed the axolotls as critically endangered.
Although there were no further assessments, the axolotls aren’t faring any better in 2024, judging by their population trend.
A survey done in 1998 found there were 6000 axolotls per square kilometer in Lake Xochimilco. This number dropped to 1000 in 2003, 100 in 2008, and 35 in 2013.
If this trend is to continue unabated, the axolotl will go extinct in the wild in the next 5 or 10 years.
What Would Happen If The Axolotls Went Extinct
Axolotls are being studied extensively by scientists because of their ability to completely regenerate their entire body including parts of their brain.
When humans lose a limb, it is gone. All we grow is skin or scar tissue to cover the wound. When axolotls lose a limb, they can completely regrow it just as it was.
Scientists are trying something called genome sequencing to figure out the code for the genes of the axolotl. It is even more difficult because as described above, the genes are different between captive-bred and wild axolotls
Scientists need the genetic code for the wild axolotl before they go extinct if they have any hope of figuring out the regenerative power of the axolotl and applying it to humans.
And because axolotls don’t go through metamorphosis, they “don’t depend on the seasons and other environmental factors” for breeding. That means scientists can breed them throughout the course of the year. Axolotls may also offer insight to the genetic controls that regulate the switch in life for processes like puberty.
How Many Axolotls are Left in the World in 2024?
There are several wide-ranging articles on the internet saying how many axolotls are left. They all agree on one thing – there are less than 1000 axolotls left in the world.
The IUCN assessment in 2019 estimated the axolotl wild population to be between 50 – 1000 adults.
However, the real population of axolotl in 2024 may be even grim – recent reports suggest that there are just 50 – 100 axolotls left in the world, which is too few.
This is just the wild population. The axolotl population in captivity is well over 1 million.
If you read the entire post, you would know that we identified the wild population as much more important to save from endangerment than the captive species because of their regenerative abilities and what it can mean for the human race.
Did You Know? The world’s largest axolotl on record, named Glob, is in a pet store in Dallas, Texas. An adult axolotl usually measures 9 inches in length. But Glob is a whopping 14 inches long, making her the largest axolotl in the world.
How to Save the Axolotl from Extinction?
The picture may seem a bit grim but there is good news and hope. Let’s look at some ways you can help save axolotls and what is being done currently to save these unique creatures.
Pets and Laboratories
Axolotls are the most scientifically studied salamanders in the world. They have been examined for decades and many of them are being kept and taken care of in laboratories.
Due to their unique ability to regenerate severed limbs, axolotls have become an important lab model for studying everything from tissue repair to cancer. Because of these studies, there are currently thousands of axolotls alive and well in labs.
Maybe not as common as regular fish, axolotls are kept as pets in hundreds and thousands of aquariums in households around the world. With proper equipment and care, it is very easy to take care of one and it is not too demanding. Keeping them alive and healthy at home is of extreme importance due to their ever-declining population.
One way to recover the population of axolotl in the wild is by reintroducing lab specimens back into the wild.
Controlled Ponds and Canals
A handful of scientists are doing their best to preserve axolotls in the wild. They are breeding and releasing axolotls into controlled ponds and canals around Xochimilco, hoping to gradually restore their numbers in their natural environment.
Involving the Government
Preserving any species in the wild requires active involvement from the local government. Unfortunately, the government authorities in the Mexico Basin are still not involved enough with the cause of saving axolotls.
Even though they are protected as an endangered species by the Mexican government, many axolotls still end up on a plate.
Raising Awareness
Various NGOs and individuals in the areas are actively working to raise awareness of what draining, urbanization, and pollution are doing to axolotls.
They run different information campaigns, organize initiatives for cleaning, and place signs around the lakes enlightening the public about the axolotls’ situation.
Conclusion
Now that you know axolotls are endangered, why, and how to save them, maybe you can help. One way you can help save axolotls is by adopting them as a pet.
Some benefits of having an axolotl as a pet are:
- Their aquarium is easy to set up and you can either buy them online or through your local pet store.
- They can’t be handled or petted much if any but they can still be great pets.
- Many owners have taught their axolotls to do basic tricks and to eat from their hands.
Owners have reported their axolotl swimming back and forth in the aquarium when the owner is in the room, tapping on the glass when the owner is in the room, and even laying in the owner’s hand in the aquarium.
Be that unique person and help save an axolotl today!
Resources:
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/saving-paradoxical-axolotl-180967734/
