Nuns & Achoques

Biologists in Mexico are learning how to save endangered salamanders by partnering with unusual allies: a group of nuns.

Achoques, like their close relatives the axolotl, have phenomenal regenerative abilities. Using achoques for their medicinal properties dates back nearly a millennia, and about 100 years ago, nuns in Pátzcuaro, Mexico, turned to achoques as part of their production of cough syrup. After the achoque became endangered in the wild, these nuns have bred their own captive colony and have become leading experts in achoque care.