Axolotl conservation in the Xochimilco wetland

Since December, we've been closely watching the axolotls because it's the breeding season!

They need some special attentions, so we took them out of their big pond to take care of them in more specialized aquariums. This way, we can track and see when the adult axolotls finally breed, we can shelter the eggs until they hatch and give the hatchlings the attention that they need. In the meantime, we gave maintenance to the pond, changed some materials, and cleaned the floor and walls so we could start again to create a controlled but more natural ecosystem.

We also used the time that the axolotls were in the aquariums to treat them for any parasite or disease they may start to express. This is a process that may take up to several weeks until we are sure they are in optimal conditions again to reintroduce the adults to the pond. Meanwhile, the hatchlings and juveniles stay in their special containers until they are ready to join their older relatives in the pond.

The reintroduction of the adults is happening these weeks, we are making sure the water conditions are well enough for the axolotls, by testing the water with the right measurement equipment, and adding some native vegetal aquatic species to the pond, and removing any invasive species that may be present in the water that comes from the canals of the wetland.

We've learned a lot about the life of the axolotls in their natural conditions and how the human activities affect them thanks to the pond. Our next step is to start working in a bigger body of water that we have already chosen and studied. The goal is to create a big natural refuge for these little friends, but not only them, this place would shelter many other species of fauna and flora representative and native to this wetland, including birds, amphibians, reptiles, aquatic plants, and trees.

Links:

• Know more about our project here!