Axolotl found in Pennsylvania waterway

An aquatic creature only found in Mexico City was discovered in a Pennsylvania waterway. 

Buzz N’ B’s Aquarium & Pet Shop posted on Facebook that somebody brought them an axolotl after finding her swimming in Walnut Creek near Lake Erie. They shared a photo of the axolotl in a tray of water near snow and leaves. 

“No domesticated animal can be safely released outside — not even aquatic ones,” the pet shop wrote. “They depend on proper water quality, temperature, and care to survive.”

According to media reports, the axolotl was medicated for a fungal infection but ultimately died.  

What is an axolotl? 

Axolotls are only found in waterways in Mexico City. The International Union for Conservation of Nature estimates that there are only about 50 to 1,000 mature axolotls in the wild. They’re considered critically endangered. 

According to the Natural History Museum in London, axolotls are known as a conservation paradox since they’re almost extinct in the wild, yet they’re widely distributed in pet shops and labs throughout the world. Axolotls are kept as pets, and they’re studied by scientists who want to understand their ability to regenerate body parts. But experts say the captive population is very inbred, meaning there isn’t much genetic diversity, and they’re vulnerable to disease.