A break from politics
Sorry, I couldn't resist this face. And it celebrates the end of the 22-month presidential campaign in the U.S.
Mexico City's 'water monster' nears extinction
"Beneath the tourist gondolas in the remains of a great Aztec lake lives a creature that resembles a monster – and a Muppet – with its slimy tail, plumage-like gills and mouth that curls into an odd smile.
"The axolotl, also known as the “water monster” and the “Mexican walking fish,” was a key part of Aztec legend and diet. Against all odds, it survived until now amid Mexico City's urban sprawl in the polluted canals of Lake Xochimilco, now a Venice-style destination for revelers poled along by Mexican gondoliers, or trajineros, in brightly painted party boats.
"But scientists are racing to save the foot-long salamander from extinction, a victim of the draining of its lake habitat and deteriorating water quality...
"The axolotl's decline began when Spanish conquerors started draining the lakes...
"Meanwhile, the axolotl population is burgeoning in laboratories, where scientists study its amazing traits, including the ability to completely re-grow lost limbs. Axolotls have played key roles in research on regeneration, embryology, fertilization and evolution.
"The salamander has the rare trait of retaining its larval features throughout its adult life, a phenomenon called neoteny. It lives all its life in the water but can breathe both under water with gills or by taking gulps of air from the surface..."
There's even a web site devoted to Axolotls as pets, Axolotls.
posted by Ken Wedding @ 6:29 AM
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