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Source:The post is based on the article “In Mexico, ecologists going all out to save iconic water monster” published in “Indian Express” on 27th November 2023
Why in the News?
Ecologists from Mexico have relaunched ‘Adopt an Axolotl’ campaign to help in the conservation efforts for axolotls, an endangered fishlike type of salamander.
What is Adopt an Axolotl Campaign?
| Specifications | Details |
| Launched by | Ecologists from Mexico’s National Autonomous University |
| Purpose | It is a fundraising campaign launched to help in the conservation efforts for axolotls. |
| Features | 1) Under the campaign, people are asked to donate as little as 600 pesos (about $35) to virtually adopt one axolotls. 2) Virtual adoption comes with live updates on axolotl’s health. 3) For less, donors can buy one of the creatures a virtual dinner. |
What is Axolotl?
| Specifications | Details |
| What is it | Axolotl is a species of salamander. Note:Salamanders are a group of amphibians. |
| Meaning | The axolotl’s name is derived from the Latin words “atl” (water) and “xolotl” (the Aztec god of fire and lightning, who could take on the form of a salamander) |
| Found in | Mexico City’s Lake Xochimilco |
| IUCN Status | Critically Endangered |
| Key Features | 1) They are neotenic which means they keep juvenile characteristics into adulthood. They retain juvenile features such as gills, tails and a preference for living in water. 2) They have the ability to regenerate lost or damaged limbs, hearts, lungs, and even parts of their brains. 3) They remain underwater throughout their life. |
| Significance | 1) Axolotl are a cultural icon in Mexico for their unique slimy appearance and for their ability to regrow limbs. 2) Scientists think that this regenerating power of Axolotls could hold the secret to tissue repair and even cancer recovery in future. |
| Threats | Population density of Mexican Axolotl has reduced by 99.5% in under two decades. They are facing extinction primarily due to: 1) Water Pollution: Poor water quality of the freshwater lakes and ponds they inhabit endangers their existence. 2) Chrytid Fungus: It is a skin eating disease that causes amphibian deaths from Europe to Australia. 3) Other reasons are: habitat loss due to rapid urbanization, invasive species like rainbow trouts, etc |
UPSC Syllabus: Species in News
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