In an extraordinary conservation partnership, Dominican nuns at a 16th-century monastery in Pátzcuaro, Mexico, are working alongside international scientists to prevent the extinction of one of the world’s rarest salamanders. Sister Ofelia Morales Francisco and her fellow nuns have spent nearly 20 years caring for the critically endangered achoque salamander (Ambystoma dumerilii), maintaining the largest captive population of this species on Earth.

The achoque, found naturally in only one location—Lake Pátzcuaro in Mexico’s Michoacán state—faces dire circumstances in the wild, with scientists estimating fewer than 150 adults remain. However, the monastery’s dedicated care has resulted in a thriving colony of approximately 300 salamanders, creating a crucial genetic reservoir for the species’ survival.

Recognizing the monastery’s success, researchers from Chester Zoo in the United Kingdom partnered with Mexican conservationists to test whether tiny microchips could be safely implanted in the salamanders. These rice-sized identification devices would allow scientists to track individual wild salamanders during health assessments, providing valuable data on sex, health status, and age with a simple scan.

The groundbreaking study, published in the Journal of Zoo and Aquarium Research, demonstrated that the microchips can be successfully implanted without harming these delicate amphibians. This innovative approach combining traditional caregiving with cutting-edge technology offers new hope for monitoring and protecting the remaining wild population of these unique salamanders, which exist nowhere else on Earth.