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Species/Axolotl

Axolotl

Axolotl

Ambystoma mexicanum

CRCritically Endangered
Range
Lake Xochimilco canals, Mexico City
Population
Wild counts measured in the hundreds, if that
Trend
decreasing
Last assessed
2019

Famous in tanks, nearly gone in the only lake it belongs to. Captive abundance is not a wild population.

Amphibians are the most threatened vertebrate class on the Red List — about 41% of assessed species. The axolotl is the mascot of that number.

IUCN record Wikipedia

Threats

  • Urban water pollution
  • Invasive carp and tilapia
  • Habitat drainage

What you can do

On the pulse

Assessment3 months agoJul 9, 2026
CRCritically Endangered
Axolotl

IUCN Red List 2026-1: 49,505 species threatened

175,909 species assessed. 49,505 in CR, EN, or VU. Amphibians remain the most threatened vertebrate class at roughly 41%. This is a barometer, not a complete inventory — only about 8% of described species have been assessed.

Source: IUCN Red List 2026-1