Overview
- Researchers counted up to 50 Ambystoma velasci per sampling in Amealco de Bonfil, confirming a functioning local population.
- The animals were found in a private, restricted-access irrigation reservoir, whose relative isolation has helped the population persist.
- Fieldwork includes non-lethal censuses, health and biometric checks, individual ID by flank spot patterns, and tests of dissolved oxygen, pH, temperature, conductivity, and bacterial presence.
- Scientists warn that agricultural runoff with ammonium, phosphates, and fecal bacteria, along with habitat degradation, remains the primary threat at the site.
- The UNAM team is advocating coordinated conservation measures, including evaluating an Área Natural Protegida designation with landowners and authorities.