Mexico's walking fish at risk of extinction

Written by:
Hans Kruit, 30 January 2014

The strange looking axolotl, known as the water monster or Mexican walking fish has disappeared from its only known natural habitat Lake Xochimilco in Mexico.

Concerns have been raised for Mexico's salamander-like axolotl surival after a recent three-month attempt to net of one creatures in its only known natural habitat in Mexico City's few remaining lakes has come back empty-handed.

Biologist Luis Zambrano of Mexico's National Autonomous University said his researchers are planning a second three-month hunt for the creatures in Lake Xochimilco, which still survive in labs and breeding tanks.

Millions once lived in the giant lakes of Xochimilco and Chalco on which Mexico City was built.
They use four stubby legs to drag themselves along lake bottoms or their thick tails to swim like mini-alligators, they hunted plentiful aquatic insects, small fish and crustaceans.

Legend has it that Xolotl – the dog-headed Aztec god of death, lightning and monstrosities feared he was about to be banished or killed by other gods and changed into an axolotl to flee into the lake.

source: The Telegraph

Would you like to read more blog posts? Go to the page Latest News.