News Animals

The axolotl is endangered in the wild. A discovery offers hope

A recent finding presents a conservation opportunity for the popular pet amphibian

An image of an axolotl looking at the camera

Axolotls are common pets and used in research. But they are endangered in the wild.

Paul Starosta/Stone/Getty Images Plus

By Anna Gibbs

Despite capturing hearts around the world, the wild axolotl — an aquatic salamander with feathery frills and a soft smile — faces extinction. Fortunately, for both axolotls and their fans, a new conservation method shows promise.

In captivity, axolotls abound as household pets and research subjects. But wild axolotls, endemic to a single lake in Mexico, are critically endangered due to degradation of their native wetlands, with only 50 to 1,000 individuals left in the wild.