Another Species Nears Extinction, Courtesy of Pollution

According to an article on Treehugger, the bizarre, yet cute-looking Axolotl salamander, also known as the Mexican walking fish or Mexican water monster, is now considered endangered due to habitat destruction and water pollution.

The sea-living creature is remarkable not only for its smiling appearance, but also because of its ability to regenerate most body parts. Once an import part of Aztec legend and diet, the creature has managed to survive until recently in the polluted canals of Lake Xochimilco, part of Mexico City's urban sprawl.

In modern times, axolotls have been used extensively in laboratory studies on regeneration, embryology, fertilization and evolution.

"If the axolotl disappears, it would not only be a great loss to biodiversity but to Mexican culture, and would reflect the degeneration of a once-great lake system," says Luis Zambrano, a biologist at the Autonomous University of Mexico, or UNAM/

Scientists are trying to find ways to save the tiny creature, which some estimate may disappear in as few as five years. Some push for Axolotl sanctuaries in the canals, while others are pushing for breeding in captivity.

Once a population of millions, it was a regular part of the local diet. Now, the population has fallen from 1,500 per square mile in 1998 to a mere 25 per square mile this year, according to a survey by Zambrano's scientists using casting nets. Fishermen no longer find the creatures as often, so it is no longer eaten.

Without the presence of nonnative species, like carp, the water would clear, and plants the axolotl needs to breed could flourish again, said Bob Johnson, the curator of amphibians and reptiles at the Toronto Zoo.

"If you take the insults away, the lake has an amazing latent potential to heal itself," he said.

While there is yet no clear direction as to how to save the species, the race is on.

For pictures of the alien-looking animal, click here. To read the original article, click here.

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