Axolotls: How the endangered amphibian is making a comeback
May 2, 2025
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Victoria Gill, a BBC science correspondent, discusses the endangered axolotl, a unique amphibian famed for its ability to regenerate body parts and maintain a juvenile appearance. The conversation covers the successful reintroduction of captive-bred axolotls into the wild, highlighting promising survival rates and growth. Gill also shares insights into the ongoing conservation efforts in their native habitats and the potential implications of their regenerative capabilities for human medicine. Listeners will fall in love with these fascinating creatures!
Conservation efforts for axolotls are yielding promising results, with successfully released captive-bred individuals adapting well and thriving in restored habitats.
The axolotl's extraordinary regenerative abilities are being studied, offering potential applications for advancements in human medical therapies related to injuries.
Deep dives
The Endangered Status of Axolotls
Axolotls, endemic to Mexico, face a severe threat of extinction, with wild populations dwindling to an alarming 50 to 1,000 individuals. Urban expansion in Mexico City has diverted natural spring water, leading to poor water quality in their native habitats, while introducing invasive species has further jeopardized their survival by competing for resources and consuming their eggs. The broader environmental degradation within the Xochimilco region highlights the urgency of conservation efforts for these unique amphibians. Their critical status has sparked significant public affection, exemplified by the popularity of the 50-peso bill featuring an axolotl, which many people are reluctant to spend, underscoring the cultural importance of this species in Mexico.
Conservation Success and Survival Strategies
Recent efforts to conserve axolotls have shown promising results, as captive-bred individuals were successfully released into restored wetland areas, with all 18 released animals surviving and even gaining weight. This positive outcome indicates that these axolotls are adapting well to their natural environment, demonstrating their ability to hunt and thrive beyond captivity. Researchers used advanced monitoring techniques, including tiny radio transmitters, to track the movements and well-being of the released axolotls, providing valuable data to inform ongoing conservation strategies. This success suggests a viable path forward for restoring wild axolotl populations, although much work remains to ensure the habitat conditions are conducive for them to flourish.
Scientific Insights from Axolotls' Regenerative Abilities
The axolotl’s remarkable ability to regenerate lost limbs and even organs has captured the interest of scientists worldwide, prompting research into the underlying biological mechanisms. When an axolotl loses a limb, its cells communicate and initiate a complex regeneration process, involving precise genetic activity to ensure the regrowth matches the original in structure and function. Studies on axolotls at various research institutions aim to unravel the secrets behind this regeneration, with the potential application to human medicine, particularly in spinal cord injuries. Understanding these processes in axolotls could eventually lead to breakthroughs in regenerative therapies, highlighting the intersection of animal conservation and cutting-edge scientific research.
Axolotls are only found in the wild in one place in the world; an area of wetland just outside Mexico City. They are one of the world’s most endangered, and arguably most adorable, amphibians. Not just meme-worthy, they are also scientifically fascinating - they don’t really age and they can regrow body parts, including their brains.
Very few are left in the wild, but now scientists have released captive-bred axolotls back into the wetlands and found that they not only survived, but even put on a bit of weight.
BBC science correspondent Victoria Gill talks us through the study and explains what scientists can learn from these amazing creatures.
And Assistant Professor Prayag Murawala from the MDI Biological Laboratory in the US, describes what we know about how axolotls regenerate their own body parts.
Instagram: @bbcwhatintheworld
Email: whatintheworld@bbc.co.uk
WhatsApp: +44 330 12 33 22 6
Presenter: Hannah Gelbart
Producers: Chelsea Coates, Emily Horler and Julia Ross-Roy
Editor: Harriet Oliver
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