Wild axolotls are brown-gray colours, but they can also be albino.
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Two highly endangered amphibians have found a new home.
SeaWorld San Diego recently acquired two 10-month Axolotls, which will be open to the theme park’s new Bayside Aquarium starting August 8th. Eric Otjen, vice president of zoology operations, told USA Today. Their names are Poppy and Debra.
Axolotls are part of the illegal animal trade and were confiscated by the US Fish and Wildlife Service. The Wildlife Forbidden Network is a program under the Zoo and Aquarium Association, and contacted SeaWorld San Diego to inquire about potential homes, Otjen added.
Axolotls was classified as critically at risk by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List in 2006. As it was last evaluated in 2019, there were only 50-1,000 Axolotls in the wild.
According to the IUCN, major threats to Axolotls, native to southern Mexico’s cities, include residential and commercial development, invasive species, hunting and trapping, and pollution.
Despite being at risk, Axolotls have been widely represented across pop culture in recent years, becoming animated series, video games such as Minecraft, and countless gorgeousness. The Pokemon character Wooper is thought to be inspired by amphibians.
What is axolotls?
Unlike other amphibians, axolotls are pedomorphic salamanders that do not cause metamorphosis. For example, frogs are born as tadpoles before transforming into adult frogs, but axolotls do not experience this change. Instead, according to the London Museum of Natural History, Axolotls retain the external gills and other juvenile characteristics among all adults.
Special salamanders live in the wild for 10-15 years and can grow to about 3 inches long. Wild axolotls are brown-gray colours, but they can also be albino. Albino is frequently portrayed in the media. According to the museum, they eat mollusks, insects, insects, crustaceans and small fish.
Specifically, axolotls comes from lakes in southern Mexico, such as Lake Xochimilco and Lake Chalco. However, according to the museum, both are being discharged significantly to reduce flooding. Today, most axolotls are located in the canals of these lakes.
Gretacross is a national trend reporter for USA Today. Story ideas? Please email her gcross@usatoday.com.
