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Beneath the tourist gondolas1 on Lake Xochimilco in Mexico lives a creature that resembles a monster. Known as the “water monster” or “Mexican walking fish”, the axolotl is type of salamander.
The Ambystoma Mexicano, this species, is the axolotl of Xochimilco. It's in severe danger of extinction2. Basically, the causes of extinction are water contamination, destruction of habitat, the introduction of exotic fish including tilapia and carp, and people hunting them to eat or to keep as pets.
Historically, abundant populations of axolotls lived in the once-giant lakes of Xochimilco and Chaco, near Tenochtitlan, which is modern-day Mexico City. Today the number of axolotls in the wild is not known. But the population has reportedly dropped from about 1500 per square mile in 1998 to a mere3 25 per square mile this year.
The animal is listed as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Some are pushing for a series of sanctuaries4 in canals, cleared of invasive species. Others are considering repopulating the lake with axolotls bred in captivity5. More research is needed to make sure the process doesn’t link to disease and genetic6 problems from inbreeding.
But conservation has faced daunting7 challenges. The axolotl’s natural habitat has all but vanished, and what remains8 is severed9 polluted. Out species of fish have been introduced which threaten to out-compete the salamander. But as the clock ticks, time is running out for this ancient Mexican monster.
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1 gondolas | |
n.狭长小船( gondola的名词复数 );货架(一般指商店,例如化妆品店);吊船工作台 | |
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2 extinction | |
n.熄灭,消亡,消灭,灭绝,绝种 | |
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3 mere | |
adj.纯粹的;仅仅,只不过 | |
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4 sanctuaries | |
n.避难所( sanctuary的名词复数 );庇护;圣所;庇护所 | |
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5 captivity | |
n.囚禁;被俘;束缚 | |
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6 genetic | |
adj.遗传的,遗传学的 | |
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7 daunting | |
adj.使人畏缩的 | |
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8 remains | |
n.剩余物,残留物;遗体,遗迹 | |
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9 severed | |
v.切断,断绝( sever的过去式和过去分词 );断,裂 | |
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