When most environmentally-conscious people are trying to spur people into action regarding endangered species, they'll brandish photos of warm, fuzzy mammals like polar bear cubs, majestic Amur leopards, or at the very least, sad-eyed Caspian seals. Not me. As a longtime lover of reptiles and amphibians, my interest tends to more curious creatures; specifically the axolotl.
Axolotls are cute, with their funny, beady eyes, enigmatic little smiles and those graceful, slightly creepy feathery gills. I could stare at these odd little guys all day (actually, they're not that little - they can grow to as big as a foot long), and I could actually make my wish come true, since they are available as pets. But that's part of the reason why they are disappearing from their natural environment. A combination of issues are causing the reduction in numbers of this salamander species. The axolotls' natural habitat is the lake complex of Xochimilco in Mexico, which is being drained and contaminated; they are considered a delicacy in Mexico; and the Axolotls who manage to avoid becoming dinner are caught and sold to the pet trade. The ones that are left have to fight for their meals of worms, mollusks and the like because large non-native fish are invading their turf; meanwhile herons want to snack on axolotls as much as those Mexican folks who are looking for a out-of-the-ordinary appetizer.
So even though an axolotl can live up to 15 years in captivity and would be an unending source of amusement for both me and Sparkle (also an unending source of annoyance as I try to keep Sparkle and the other two cats out of the axolotl tank), I'm not going to be getting one.
In any case, there's another reason why the axolotl has grabbed my attention, along with other endangered amphibians, which includes a long list of frogs: such creatures are the environmental version of the canary in a coal mine. They are the first to show the damage mankind has done to the earth. Amphibians suffer first, mutate first and disappear faster than most other creatures. Most mammals and birds have a certain amount of adaptability that will allow them to survive polluting conditions for a while. Amphibians are sensitive - screw up their delicate ecosystems and you'll see the damage right away. Global warming, pollution, rainforest destruction, etc. all effect amphibians quickly, and as they disappear, so follow many other species.
Maybe you don't have the passion for these quirky creatures that I do, but pay attention to what is happening to them. Our future is reflected in their present.
