October 12th, 2009
The first vegetarian spider has been discovered in Central America and Mexico.
Bagheera kiplingi feeds mainly on the tips of the acacia plants. It also occasionally supplements its diets with ant larvae.
BBC
Mexico nature | Tags: Bagheera kiplingi, Spiders of Mexico|
August 27th, 2009
The axolotl is a bit of an amphibian oddball. It uniquely spends its whole life in its larval form. Now, a new survey suggests that between 700 and 1,200 survive in six reduced and scattered areas within the Xochimilco area of the Mexican Central Valley, making its long term survival critical. Recent evidence suggests that the population has declined alarmingly in recent decades. For example, in 1998 there were thought to be around 6,000 axolotls per square kilometre of the Xochimilco. By 2004 just 1,000 lived in the equivalent area, and by 2008 around 100 animals survived per square kilometre: a 60-fold reduction in ten years. Water quality is one of the main factors driving the axolotl to extinction in the wild. Other factors include introduced carp and disease.
BBC
Mexico nature, North America nature | Tags: Amphibians of Mexico, How many axolotls are left in the wild?, Xochimilco, Xochimilco wildlife|