IVAE20170617-The Most Unusual and Interesting Animal 又萌又稀有的兩棲動物（b)

With so many kinds of salamanders scattered1 around the globe, you would think that some of them would be of particular interest, and you would be right. The Chinese giant salamander, in addition to its huge size, is a source of food for inhabitants2 of China&`&s Qinling Mountains, located in southern Shaanxi province. It is also used in traditional Chinese medicine. Of course, these aspects of the amphibian&`&s attraction are not good for the species, and it is considered critically3 endangered4. The government of China has set up an environmental education program in Shaanxi with the hope of protecting this unique creature. 　　The axolotl▼, also called the Mexican salamander, is found in the wild near Mexico City. This salamander remains in water throughout its life, from the larval▼ stage to adulthood, using its gills to breathe. Axolotls reach sexual maturity5 without undergoing6 life stage changes, a condition called neoteny▼, common to all salamanders but not to other amphibians. For example, frogs start life as eggs, then they become free-swimming tadpoles▼. Only when reaching the adult land-based form do they become sexually mature. Due to habitat loss and being hunted and sold in markets as food, the axolotl is unfortunately near extinction7. It can now be found exclusively8 in a few lakes in central Mexico. 　　Scientists have been breeding this species in captivity for decades because they have learned that it has remarkable regenerative▼ powers. It can heal or replace its own missing limbs and easily accepts transplants9 from other axolotl. These traits hold great promise for the future of medicine. Scientists hope to unlock the secrets of salamanders to someday help people recover from the more serious kinds of traumatic10 injury.