Research
Lab raised axolotls are surviving in the wild and gaining weight in a huge win for the rare species
Earth.com · By Eric Ralls ·
The Brief
- Scientists released 18 lab-raised axolotls into two wetlands in Mexico City.
- According to Earth.com, the released axolotls are surviving in the wild and gaining weight.
- Axolotls are nearly gone in the wild; their only natural home is Lake Xochimilco, a network of canals in southern Mexico City.
Why it matters
The report offers an early sign that captive-bred axolotls can survive and grow after release into the wild, which bears on reintroduction efforts for a species nearly extinct in its natural habitat.
Who’s affected
- conservation biologists and herpetologists
- researchers who keep axolotls in labs
- #axolotl
- #conservation
- #reintroduction
- #amphibians
- #mexico city
Axolotls are popular as pets, in video games , and in research labs , but in the wild they are nearly gone. Their only natural home is Lake Xochimilco, a network of canals in southern Mexico City. When scientists released 18 lab-raised axolotls into two of the city’s wetlands…