Mexican axolotl salamander dubbed the 'water monster' faces extinction

Dubbed the "water monster" by the Aztecs, the axolotl salamander is battling extinction in the remnants of Mexico City's ancient lake, alarming scientists hoping mankind learns from its ability to regenerate organs.

The creature, whose colours vary from milky white to black and olive green, has survived in the Xochimilco canals since most of the lake was drained over the centuries following the Spanish conquest.

But the weight of the sprawling megacity of 20 million is taking its toll on a species that can also resist cancer and reproduce complex brain tissue.

Researchers have studied the salamander's cells in the hopes of grasping how to regenerate organs and body parts of people suffering from malformations or accidents.

While the female can lay 1,500 eggs four times a year, only 0.3 axolotls on average are found every sq km compared to 1,000 in 1996, according to a study by the National Autonomous University of Mexico.

So now scientists from there, under the auspices of Britain's Kent University, are striving to keep the legendary animal alive.