Wild Axolotls Live in Only One Place on Earth
The canals of Xochimilco in Mexico are the axolotl’s only natural home, and that home is in danger.
You can find axolotls in aquariums in many countries, but in the wild, we live in only one place: the canals and lakes of Xochimilco, on the southern edge of Mexico City.
Canals, floating gardens, and colorful boats
Xochimilco is what remains of a great lake system in the Valley of Mexico. Since Aztec times, people there have built chinampas, artificial garden islands in the water for farming. The canals between the chinampas are the axolotl’s home. Today they’re also famous for trajineras, colorful wooden boats that carry visitors.
Why are they in danger?
Wild axolotls are listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List. Surveys by researchers show their numbers have dropped sharply over the past few decades. The main causes:
- A growing city that shrinks their habitat
- Water pollution from waste and farming
- Introduced fish like tilapia and carp that eat axolotl eggs and young
There’s hope
Scientists and local farmers work together to keep canals clean and create protected areas around the chinampas. The axolotl has also become a symbol of Mexican pride, even appearing on the 50-peso banknote issued in 2021!
Aquarium axolotls come from captive breeding, not the wild. If you keep an axolotl, never release it into a river or lake. It can harm the local environment and the axolotl itself. 💙
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