Conservation & Axolotl Sanctuaries

The Mexican axolotl (Ambystoma mexicanum) represents one of the most important species on the planet for science and biodiversity. However, it currently faces a critical crisis derived from habitat loss, pollution, and genetic inbreeding. Santuario Ajolote and CIMA A.C. develop an integral project of genetic conservation, ecological restoration, and community economy to prevent the functional extinction of the Mexican axolotl in the wetlands of Xochimilco.

The project was born in Xochimilco alongside Doña Josefina and Don Roberto, when the Hernández family faced the possibility of selling their chinampas due to economic problems. Through a model of circular economy and environmental conservation, the loss of these lands was prevented and a community cooperative was created that currently benefits more than 150 families of the Fernando Celada dock. These families have become guardians of the Mexican axolotl and active protectors of the wetland.

For more than five years, a search was conducted for historical genetic lines from traditional axolotl sanctuaries, chinampas, and local projects in Xochimilco and Tláhuac. Currently the project conserves 11 genetic families derived from historical specimens from the wetland. The objective is to prevent inbreeding and develop a traceable genetic bank to study the genetic bottleneck the species faces.

The laboratory conducts research around the hypermelanoid phenotype, considered close to the original wild color of the Mexican axolotl. The goal is to study recessive genes related to pigmentation, adaptation, and environmental resistance, selecting specific lines for future reproductive programs.

The laboratory maintains multiple genetic lines representing the phenotypic diversity of the Mexican axolotl. Each line is tracked, documented, and carefully crossbred to preserve the functional genetic diversity of the species.

Santuario Ajolote maintains collaboration with academic and scientific institutions to strengthen axolotl genetic research. As part of these collaborations, 11 specimens were donated for studies on genetics, inbreeding, health, and adaptation to artificial wetlands.

The project goes beyond biological conservation. It is a community economy model where science, tradition, and social welfare converge to protect the axolotl and the families that inhabit the wetland.

The reproduction laboratory is located in Coyoacán, Mexico City, but its purpose transcends its walls: to feed the expansion of the model in our community cooperatives of Xochimilco. The genetic lines safeguarded in Coyoacán are destined for the creation of new axolotl sanctuaries within the cooperatives of the Xochimilco wetland, where each family custodies a fragment of the genetic bank and becomes an active guardian of the species. The Coyoacán greenhouse is the scientific heart; the chinampas and cooperatives of Xochimilco are the community body that brings the project to life.

Santuario Ajolote's vision is to consolidate the expansion of the Coyoacán → Xochimilco model: bringing the genetic lines safeguarded in the laboratory to new community cooperatives of the wetland, creating a network of community axolotl sanctuaries that ensure the diversity of the species before the point of no return. Each cooperative in Xochimilco becomes a living sanctuary. The conservation of the axolotl is the conservation of the wetland, and the conservation of the wetland is the conservation of an entire community.