Axolotls have descended from the tiger salamander, the axolotl is “young”, having inhabited central Mexico for only about the last 10,000 years, according to some experts. Indigenous to these two spring-fed lakes along the southern edge of the Basin of Mexico, much of its suitable habitat has been drained. Axolotls population has declined  because we have lost human development, waste water disposal, and loss of habitat due to droughts. Despite their prevalence in the aquarium trade, these species are critically endangered in the wild.

If the axolotl goes extinct, Mexico will lose one of its last remaining natural ties to the Aztecs. ​The approaching extinction of the axolotl is an indication of environmental collapse. Many other species in Xochimilco in addition to the axolotl are affected negatively by pollution.