Ambystoma mexicanum by Tim Halliday ISSN 1026-0269 FROGLOG Newsletter of the Declining Amphibian Populations Task Force February 2005, Number 67 *LAST PRINTED ISSUE* (see page 4) fields of mud and vegetation reclaimed the shores of the lake as a base, and DAPTF GRANTS 2005 from the lake – has been going on for with funding from DAPTF and the British centuries and has reduced the system to Government’s Darwin Initiative a series of canals running between programme, the project partnership has islands of development. Today, the run training workshops on amphibian landscape is often referred to as the biology and conservation for local ‘floating gardens’ (a misnomer, as the students and conservation SEED GRANTS We have received 48 chinampas are not floating at all). organisations, nature guiding for local applications this year, from 24 countries. Habitat loss, introduced predators, boatmen, and souvenir production for Seven applications are for Chester Zoo pollution, and illegal collection for food unemployed artisans. In addition, the grants, 13 for ARMI grants and 28 for and medicines have all taken their toll on project has been engaged with ongoing the axolotl. Consequently, the threats biological research on population status Unconditional grants. Awards in the facing this species are complex and not and the assessment and impact of Unconditional category are likely to be easily reversible. However, its prominent threats. DAPTF International Co- very few in number, as we are currently position within Aztec mythology and the ordinator, Jeanne McKay, has been very short of funds. For the first time, we have received proposals from Laos, ancient lacustrine economy of the region involved with the project through her Seychelles and Trinidad. Successful means that the axolotl is well known – Master’s research (McKay, 2003) and although poorly understood – among workshop facilitation, and will continue to applicants will be notified in February. local people. Some 2000 remeros (local act as a consultant as the conservation boatmen) earn a living by punting programme develops. DAPTF/CEPF We have begun visitors along the lake’s canal system in Despite its precarious status in discussions with potential applicants for gaily decorated pleasure trajineras the wild, the axolotl is one of the most CEPF-funded grants, announced in (pleasure boats), and the chinamperos familiar amphibians in laboratories and Froglogs 65 and 66. It has become clear (local farmers) cultivate the adjacent aquaria throughout the world. Animals that it is very important that anyone land in a way that their ancestors have were originally collected in 1863 for the interested in these grants contact us at done for centuries. Fishing is also Natural History Museum in Paris, and an early stage, outlining their ideas. fundamental to the local economy, and many of today’s captive animals There are a number of constraints on although non-native carp and Tilapia probably stem from these founders these grants, particularly in relation to may have replaced the axolotl as the (Smith, 1989). As a result of its well- the geographical location of projects, main catch, researchers have yet to known reproductive biology and the and we do not want people to waste time improve upon the highly skilled availability of captive populations there is developing proposals that we cannot traditional netting method used by the considerable interest in reintroducing support. Contacts: Tim Halliday fishermen for finding axolotls. axolotls to Lake Xochimilco. However, ([email protected]) and Don Building on its existing profile there are several problems associated Church ([email protected]) among the Xochimilcans, a partnership with such releases at this stage. At the Action for the axolotl at Lake of British and Mexican organisations has very least, threats need to be neutralized Xochimilco, Mexico been developing a conservation and potential disease and genetic programme for the axolotl over the past problems addressed before captive three years (Griffiths et al., 2004). The animals are put back into the wild project was the brainchild of the late Dr (Griffiths et al., 2004). Despite the wide Virginia Graue of the Universita availability of captive bred axolotls, wild Autonoma Metropolitana at Xochimilco animals are still captured and sold By Richard A. Griffiths and Ian G. (UAM-X), who contacted the Durrell illegally in local markets (McKay, 2003). Bride Institute of Conservation and Ecology A proposal to upgrade Ambystoma The Mexican axolotl (Ambystoma (DICE) in 1999 for assistance with mexicanum from CITES Appendix II mexicanum) is one of Latin America’s development of the project. As it was (controlled international trade) to most threatened amphibians. The vast clear that addressing the many threats Appendix I (species threatened with wetland upon which Mexico City was that the axolotl faced would be extinction and international trade founded – and which once provided a impossible without the co-operation of permitted only in exceptional rich and productive habitat for the axolotl local stakeholders, the project focused circumstances) is currently under and other endemic fauna – is now on embracing local people within the discussion by the Mexican authorities. reduced to a handful of small, isolated conservation planning process by As the project enters its final patches surrounded by development. Of developing the axolotl as a flagship phase, a round-up seminar and these, Lake Xochimilco is the largest, species for nature tourism and workshop on the ‘Conservation of Axolotl covering just over 2 square kilometres - conservation education within the region. and the Xochimilco System’ was held at but it is certainly no longer a lake. The Using UAM-X’s existing field station on UAM-X from 6-9 December 2004. The development of the ‘chinampas’ – raised 1 fifty participants consisted of Smith, H.B. (1989) Discovery of the and embryonic and early larval representatives from government and axolotl and its early history in biological development. non-government organisations, research. In Developmental Biology of Out of 53 previously universities, research institutions, the the Axolotl, pp. 3-12. Armstrong, J.B & documented populations 21 (40 %) were media, remeros and other local Malacinski, G.M. (Eds.). New York: not recorded. According to local stakeholders. Over the first two days of Oxford University Press. inhabitants, most change had taken the meeting, partners had the For further information please contact: place over the last decade. Reasons opportunity to present findings that had [email protected] / I.G.Bride mentioned by local inhabitants included emerged from the project and other @kent.ac.uk a prolonged spring drought resulting in related work. The presentations covered http://www.kent.ac.uk/anthropology/di changes in the underground water level legal protection, local planning, nature ce/research/azaxs and drainage. At another eight sites, the tourism, engaging the local community, water bodies remained but no crested ecology and impact of threats, captive The Status of Great Crested Newt newts were recorded despite intensive breeding and reintroduction, ecoregional Breeding Sites in Serbia searches. Considering our good design, flagship species and public sampling effort and the fact that the education. The presentations served to aquatic phase of the crested newt is summarize and consolidate information prolonged, either as reproductively gathered during the course of the active adults, embryos or larvae, we project, and provide a framework for two concluded that all populations had By Jelka Crnobrnja-Isailovic, Ivan further days of participatory workshop. become extinct. Since five out of these Aleksic & Jan Willem Arntzen, Bilingually facilitated by Gerardo Garcia eight ponds were stocked with fish, we DAPTF Seed Grant Recipients of the Durrell Wildlife Conservation attribute the loss mostly to fish Trust, the workshop groups were set The crested newt (Triturus cristatus predation. For two of these sites, goal-oriented tasks with a view to superspecies) is a group of four closely interviews with local inhabitants suggest producing the framework for a Species related species that inhabit a broad part that fish were introduced after the and Habitat Action Plan. After of Europe and the adjacent area. In the breeding sites were initially described. brainstorming the issues facing the Balkans, all four species exist and show Out of the 24 remaining crested newt axolotl, the workshop groups set about largely parapatric distributions. The populations, 18 (77%) were found in placing the issues into categories, distribution of the four crested newt habitats of anthropogenic origin which setting goals and objectives for species in Serbia is complex (for details were more than 50 years old (41%) or addressing the issues, identifying see Arntzen and Wallis 1999; Arntzen between 20 and 50 years old (36%). appropriate actions and finally assigning 2003) Local introgression of karelinii mt Most of these man-made breeding sites timeframes and organisations to the DNA haplotypes was detected in T. were quarries, irrigation channels and various actions. The workshop format dobrogicus, T.cristatus and T. carnifex clay and gravel pits situated near provided an opportunity for input from all macedonicus populations, as well as abandoned brick factories. stakeholders – ranging from local introgression of dobrogicus haplotype in The pH of breeding sites boatmen to representatives