Endangered Axolotl Release Raises Hopes For Rare Amphibian

One of nan world's astir endangered amphibians - nan strange, perpetually smiling Mexican axolotl - has thrived aft being released successful artificial wetlands, scientists person discovered.

In a study that provides dream for nan semipermanent early of a animal that was pushed to nan brink of extinction, scientists released 18 captive-bred axolotls successful restored and artificial wetland adjacent to Mexico City.

The researchers fitted nan animals pinch power trackers and recovered that they "survived and foraged successfully astatine some sites" - moreover gaining weight.

Lead interrogator Dr Alejandra Ramos from nan Autonomous University of Baja California said this was an "amazing result".

The findings are published in nan diary PLoS One and they suggest, nan researchers say, that nan axoltol tin beryllium brought backmost to its autochthonal habitat.

The waters of Xochimilco - shaped by accepted farming practices and flushed pinch outpouring h2o from nan mountains - utilized to teem pinch these amphibians.

But arsenic Mexico City grew, urbanisation, contamination and different pressures pushed axolotls to nan brink of extinction, pinch immoderate estimates suggesting that location were arsenic fewer arsenic 50 near successful nan wild.

"If we suffer this species, we suffer portion of our Mexican identity," said co-lead interrogator Dr Luis Zambrano from nan National University of Mexico.

It is nary exaggeration to telephone nan axoltol an icon. Aztec fable has it that nan animal is simply a deity successful salamander shape - nan Aztec deity of occurrence and lightning, Xolotl, disguised arsenic a salamander.

"If we tin reconstruct this [wetland] residence and reconstruct nan axolotl's organization successful a metropolis of much than 20 cardinal people," Dr Zambrano continued, "I consciousness that we person dream for humanity."

To laic nan foundations for releasing nan animals, nan researchers worked pinch section farmers and a squad of volunteers to create wetland "refuges" for nan axolotls. They installed earthy filtering systems to cleanable nan water,

The scientists released their captive-bred animals astatine 2 sites - 1 successful Xochimilco and 1 astatine a disused quarry that, complete decades, has turned into what they called an "artificial wetland".

Every animal was tagged pinch a power search device.

"The astonishing news is that they each survived," Dr Ramos told BBC News. "And not only that, but nan ones that we recaptured had gained weight - truthful they're hunting."

The monitoring besides revealed intriguing insights into axolotl behaviour. "We recovered that immoderate walk astir of their clip pinch with 1 different individual - for illustration they make these small friendships," Dr Ramos explained.

Somewhat ironically, these charismatic salamanders are recovered successful nan world's laboratories and pet aquariums successful their hundreds of thousands. The type is biologically fascinating - it has nan singular expertise to regrow immoderate portion of its assemblage that is damaged aliases lost. So location is investigation underway to understand whether that expertise could beryllium harnessed medically.

But successful nan murky wetlands of Mexico City, location is still a awesome woody of activity to do to cleanable up and reconstruct nan habitat, and to springiness nan chaotic axolotl a chance to recover.

"Many animals are losing their residence astir nan world," said Dr Ramos. "And restoration projects are not easy, but they tin beryllium done - they conscionable request a batch of people.

"You don't request to beryllium a intelligence to get progressive - everybody successful nan world tin thief out."