A. mexicanum has become vulnerable in the wild. The major threats to its continued existence are land drainage and the growth of Mexico City. Various efforts at flood control and sewage disposal starting in the seventeenth century have led to serious damage to the lake complex. The digging of wells for the burgeoning population of Mexico City has also caused drying of the valley in which the lakes are located. The largest of the lakes, Texcoco, has been greatly diminished in size, while Lake Chalco has all but disappeared. Xochimilco has likewise suffered a decline in size and water quality (Griffiths et al. 1988). A further threat specific to A. mexicanum is its commercial sale as food in the markets of Mexico (Utah's Hogle Zoo 2003).