Fans of the iconic axolotl could see the critically endangered species stage a comeback in its native Mexico City, as researchers announced their findings that captive-bred axolotls can survive in the wild.
Researchers at the Autonomous University of Baja California this week said that they tracked a total of 18 captive-bred axolotls — nine male and nine female — which were released across two aquatic locations in southern Mexico City in 2017 and 2018.
"What we learned is if we can reintroduce these axolotls that have been in captivity to the restored wetland where the water conditions are ideal for the axolotls, they can survive," said Alejandra Ramos, lead researcher on the study published in the scientific journal PLOS One.
"This is pretty big news because when you have animals in captivity, they lose a lot of their behaviors. Like, they don't know how to recognize a predator, they don't know how to catch prey, and so we were a bit nervous when we released them because we didn't know if they were going to be able to survive," she continued.
But the charmingly cartoonish salamanders, also known as Mexican walking fish, didn't just survive in their new wild homes, they thrived.
"The ones that we recaptured, they had gained weight. So that means they were doing really, really well," Ramos said.
"They were hunting, they were eating, and they were avoiding predators. So this was really big," she said.
Axolotls — named for the Aztec god of fire and lightning, Xolotl — are native to the lakes of Mexico's capital. But their colorful, whimsical looks have won them admirers the world over.
The exotic aquatic critters are also a favorite among medical researchers, who hope that the amphibians' extreme regenerative abilities — down to the ability to restore their own brain, heart and lungs — could eventually help doctors better treat catastrophic injuries in people.
Despite their popularity, axolotls are critically endangered in the wild due to human interference and pollution in their habitats, with estimates of just 50 to 1,000 adults left in the wild.
The axolotls studied by Ramos and her team were released in both artificial and restored wetlands.
The animals' ability to survive in both environments was an additional layer of success. The study notes that if axolotls could survive in man-made habitats, it could help scale back the damaging effects of habitat degradation and climate change.
For Ramos, who has been working on this research since 2017, the ability to help save the axolotl goes beyond just science.
"For Mexicans, they're part of our culture, they're part of our history. And that makes them really special to us," she said.
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