The Mexican Walking Fish

The Mexican walking fish is not a fish at all, they are a aquatic salamander native to Mexico. They are the coolest looking animal in the world. They look like the sea monkey cartoons that were in the back of comic books, these adverts advertised them for sale. These cartoons were and still are on the packages made today.

These salamanders or axolotls (pronounced ACK-suh-LAH-tuhl) are endangered and I would like you to know about them. I only found out about them a year or so ago, but had no idea on how to help them until now.

These awesomely cool creatures are very much endangered and nearing extinction. One of their problems is that non-native fish species like the Asian Carp and African tilapia eat the young Axolotls (walking fish). They have no natural defenses against these fish.

However their biggest problem is Mexico itself. Mexico doesn't care about this awesome creature. They have drained lakes, and Mexico City has poured their waste-water into the other waterways totally polluting their habitat. Experts disagree on how to fix this man made problem. Scientist are expected to open a sanctuary in the waters of surrounding the island of the dolls.

The island of the dolls is a creepy little island where a little girl drowned. Her family and her were tourist. The former owner, who also drowned mysteriously on the island would hang up dolls and doll heads all over the small island to ward off evil spirits. His nephew is now the new caretaker of this haunted island. People who go there claim that they hear strange noises, see flashes of light and that the dolls eyes follow them around.

Zambrano has proposed up to 15 axolotl sanctuaries in Xochimilco's canals, where scientists would insert a barrier and clear the area of nonnative species.

I think that this incredible animal should be shared with the world and though I don't know where to buy them in the US and other countries, it would be a good idea for zoos to open their arms to this magical creature and build their own sanctuaries that would not only protect a few of them from further harm, but educate the public of their plight.

If you are going to keep them, they are around 120 dollars each and you will need a 15 gallon tank at least. They will walk around the bottom of your tank for years. Rarely they metamorphose into land animals, but it has happened. Usually they stay in that in between phase, like they aren't tadpoles, but haven't turned into what they are to become. Like when tadpoles first start growing legs before they become frogs.

Some say that they have an alien like look to them, what I think is the cutest thing about them is that they look like they're smiling and they have the appearance of a magical sea monkey, like the ones we bought as children. Well those of us who grew up in the 1980s anyway. My sister owned sea monkeys for awhile.