Acting for the Achoque
Meet the achoque, a Critically Endangered salamander endemic to Lake Pátzcuaro in Mexico. It may look endearing, but the achoque (Ambystoma dumerilii) is actually a top predator and plays an important role in its ecological niche.
Traditionally, it is highly prized by the Purépecha people as a source of food and for its use in traditional medicine, but human activities have caused the species to decline. Chester Zoo is working with the Mexico Fish Ark to assess the health of the wild achoque population and to boost their dwindling numbers.
Supporting salamander survival
Over the last century, human activity has radically changed Lake Pátzcuaro, the only home of the achoque salamander.
Non-native species like carp and bass have been introduced to the lake, leading to a decline in achoque numbers. The lake itself does not have an outflow, so when it accumulates pollutants there is nowhere for them to go, putting additional stress on the salamander population.
Achoques are an important part of the history and culture of the Purépecha communities that live around Lake Pátzcuaro.
Though they once existed in large enough numbers to be fished by the local communities, the salamander population has undergone a dramatic decline in the last 40 years, and now they rarely appear in fishermen’s nets.
Mexico Fish Ark
Chester Zoo’s conservationists have been working with the Mexico Fish Ark (Michoacán University's aquatic biology lab) to research the achoque's unique habitat.
It is crucial to have a precise picture of the species and its environment in order to guide conservation actions. This includes up-to-date research on how many salamanders are living in the lake and gathering data to help us predict the likely impact of changing conditions on their long-term survival.
The Fish Ark team also carries out research into the optimum husbandry conditions for the species. This includes studying how factors like larval density, temperature and water salinity affect the survival rates of achoques as they develop from larvae into adults.
This research feeds into the best practice husbandry guidelines published by Chester Zoo. We also coordinate the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA) breeding programme for the species.
Rescuing Wild-Laid Eggs
Another strand of the achoque project involves conservationists rescuing wild eggs that get laid in fishing nets. Normally, these eggs are lost from the population when the nets are removed from the lake, so the team have been collecting them, hatching them and nurturing the larvae in purpose-built management units.
With funding support from Amphibian Ark, two of these units have been established in the communities of Ichupio and San Jeronimo. The aim is to ensure vulnerable hatchlings and juveniles reach adulthood, so that they can be returned to the lake to reinforce the wild population.
Monitoring the wild population is an important part of the project. Conservationists in the field put out nets that capture wild achoques without harming them.
Captured achoques are carefully studied, and then freed back into the lakes. The salamanders are measured and weighed, and their skin is swabbed to test for potentially dangerous bacteria and fungi, and samples are taken for genetic analysis.
Chester Zoo is also supporting a PhD project that is studying the DNA of wild salamanders and comparing this with their counterparts in zoos. This should offer insights into the genetic health and diversity of the wild population and guide future breeding projects.
A Flagship Project For The Future
All this information is valuable as it provides a diagnostic baseline for the species and serves to inform our next steps. However, for the achoque’s future to be secured, environmental stewardship from all sectors of society around Lake Patzcuaro is crucial.
To that end, Chester Zoo is supporting the Mexico Fish Ark’s work to empower community members to protect the achoque and its habitat.
This is achieved through a programme of educational activities, training workshops and outreach in the wider community, involving a wide audience from politicians to young people and local artists. The programme raises awareness of the plight of the achoque and fosters behaviours that will help to safeguard its home.
The vision is to reverse the decline of the species, to establish a healthy wild population of achoques, and for this project to become a flagship example of a community and conservation success story: securing the natural and cultural legacy of Lake Pátzcuaro, its people, and this unique species.
Specialists
Find out more about the conservation experts working on this project.
Head of Ectotherms
Assistant Team Manager - Amphibians