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☆ Why axolotls are everywhere — but a rarity in the one lake they call home
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-16 | by ( Kate Golembiewski | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

“They’re teenagers, at least in appearance, until they die.”Mexico's Lake Xochimilco is the only spot where axolotls are found in the wild. Daniel Cardenas/Anadolu/Getty ImagesWhile the wild axolotls of Lake Xochimilco have dwindled to near-extinction, countless axolotls have been bred for scientific laboratories and the pet trade. However, the axolotls you might find at a pet shop are different from their wild relatives in Lake Xochimilco. That means that the axolotl extinction crisis can’t simply be solved by dumping pet axolotls into Lake Xochimilco. (Plus, the pet axolotls likely wouldn’t fare well with the poor habitat conditions in the lake.)

Persons: Randal Voss, Voss, “, ’ ”, Xolotl, “ ACK, uhl, ” Voss, Hector Vivas, they’re, Luis Zambrano, ” Zambrano, Daniel Cardenas, they’ve, Axolotls, Zambrano, axolotls, ”, ” Kate Golembiewski Organizations: CNN, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, “, Aztecs, National Autonomous University of Mexico, Mexico City, International Union for Conservation of Nature, Axolotl, Amphibians Conservation, Anadolu, Getty Locations: Mexican, Xochimilco, Mexico City, It’s, Lake Xochimilco, Mexico, French, Europe, California , Maine , New Jersey, Washington, Minecraft, Chicago

☆ Starship’s monumental third flight ends unexpectedly
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-16 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Instead, the company utilizes flight tests to gather crucial data and make improvements before the next vehicle rolls out for liftoff. Defying gravityThe SpaceX Starship spacecraft lifts off from the Starbase in Boca Chica, Texas, on Thursday. Chandan Khanna/AFP/Getty ImagesStarship’s eventful third test flight achieved multiple milestones before ending prematurely and likely breaking apart. The spacecraft was expected to splash down in the Indian Ocean at the end of its hourlong flight, but SpaceX lost Starship’s signal shortly after the vehicle reentered Earth’s atmosphere. However, the third flight of Starship flew longer and higher than either of the previous tests.

Persons: Chandan Khanna, axolotls, Stephen Dalton, ”, Randal Voss, Jiji Press, James Webb, “, Ashley Strickland, Katie Hunt Organizations: CNN, NASA, SpaceX, Getty, Starship, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, NASA’s, Golden Records, Clipper, Japan Monkey, Jiji, Gorillas, James Webb Space Telescope, CNN Space, Science Locations: South Texas, Texas, Boca Chica , Texas, Turkey, Xochimilco, Inuyama, United States, Columbia , South Carolina, Panama, —, Scarborough , England

In their main habitat the population density of Mexican axolotls (ah-ho-LOH'-tulz) has plummeted 99.5% in under two decades, according to scientists behind the fundraiser. Still, there are not enough resources for thorough research, said Alejandro Calzada, an ecologist surveying less well-known species of axolotls for the government's environment department. A more recent international study found less than a thousand Mexican axolotls left in the wild. In the past, government conservation programs have largely focused on the most popular species: the Mexican axolotl, found in Xochimilco. But other species can be found across the country, from tiny streams in the valley of Mexico to the northern Sonora desert.

Persons: ”, Alejandro Calzada, Calzada, Luis Zambrano González, Zambrano, Andrés Manuel López Obrador Organizations: MEXICO CITY, Mexico's National Autonomous, National Autonomous, Associated Press Locations: MEXICO, Mexican, Xochimilco, Mexico City, axolotl, Mexico, Sonora, Europe, Australia

☆ New museum in Mexico spotlights endangered axolotl salamander
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( Alberto Fajardo | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/6] An axolotl (Ambystoma mexicanum) swims in an aquarium at the new Axolotl Museum and Amphibians Conservation Centre, which is to promote the protection and study of this endangered species, at Chapultepec Zoo in Mexico City, Mexico, January 25, 2023. REUTERS/Henry RomeroMEXICO CITY, Jan 26 (Reuters) - A new museum and conservation center dedicated to Mexico's critically endangered axolotl salamander is highlighting the amphibian's remarkable story that has captured the attention of scientists and the public alike. With an impressive ability to heal itself, the axolotl (pronounced ah-sho-LO-tul) salamanders were showcased in the exhibit, which opened on Saturday, at Mexico City's Chapultepec Zoo. For decades, researchers have marveled at how the axolotl can regenerate amputated limbs and damaged body tissue, even its heart and brain. While the axolotl native to Mexico City's southern Xochimilco district is especially well-known, Gual points to 16 other kinds of axolotls that also call Mexico home, each one "like a wetlands ambassador."

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