So they're not extinct, but don't get out the confetti just yet: Mexican researchers have finally managed to find a few axolotls—slimy "water monsters" akin to salamanders—in their natural habitat around Mexico City. But their numbers aren't exactly overwhelming: "We haven't had any captures, but we have had two sightings. That's important, because it tells us we still have a chance," says researcher Armando Tovar Garza, per the AP. Why do the creatures fascinate researchers? For one thing, they can regrow missing limbs.
The axolotl's habitat in the Xochimilco lakes and canals has suffered from pollution, and though the creatures do live in captivity, those animals can't be released due to fears of infection. So researchers have tried to help the little water monsters breed. Specially installed "shelters," surrounded by bags of rocks and plants, are pumped full of clean water; they also feature cages to keep out food competitors. But, as the Independent adds, their numbers have nevertheless dwindled from about 3,700 per square mile in 1998 to the aforementioned pair of sightings. (More Mexico stories.)
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