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Species of The Week: Panamanian Golden Frog

Atelopus zeteki

The Panamanian golden frog is a small, brightly colored, frog-like toad.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List of Threatened Species classifies the Panamanian golden frog as critically endangered. These toads were once fairly common and had been seen in the wild as recently as 2005 but have since all but disappeared throughout their northern range. They are assumed to be rare or extinct on Cerro Campana and have been extinct at El Valle de Antón for more than 40 years.

While they may be gone from their native forests, Panamanian Golden Frogs are still found in managed-care facilities throughout North America.

Habitat

Panamanian golden frogs live in two types of habitats: wet forest streams and dry forest streams. They inhabit streams along the slopes of the Central Cordilleran rainforests and cloud forests of western-central Panama.

Fun Facts

The Panamanian golden frog is Panama’s national animal.
Studies have shown that Panamanian golden frogs have enough toxins in their skin to kill more than 1,000 mice.
The highly toxic skin of the frog has been used for centuries by the native people of the Panamanian forests for arrow poison
Males attract females with visual displays, instead of calling as most male frogs and toads do. These attractive displays include leg and head twitching, stamping the ground, and hopping in place. Male frogs often wave their arms to communicate with females who will wave back if interested.
The females are much larger than the males: up to 25 percent longer and heavier.
In conservation efforts, over 300 toads were kept in a temporary “golden frog hotel”. The frogs were treated to daily cleansing rinses, 24-hour room service, and exotic lunches of specialty crickets

Why are they in danger?

Threats to this species include habitat loss and fragmentation, over-collection for the pet trade, and most notably, chytridiomycosis (amphibian chytrid fungus).

Chytridiomycosis is an emerging disease caused by an aquatic fungal pathogen, called amphibian chytrid fungus. Populations in El Copé disappeared over the course of just a few months in late 2004 due to this disease. Emerging disease is the greatest threat facing these toads today.

What is being done?

Managed Care Facilities

The San Diego Zoo started a conservation effort and received the first Panamianian Golden Frogs in 2003. Since then, they have been able to successfully breed 500 individuals in captivity but will not release them into the wild until the fungal disease is less of a threat. The San Diego zoo also sends money to Panama to keep up the conservation effort in the frogs’ native country.

Project Golden Frog

Project Golden Frog is a conservation project involving scientific, educational, and zoological institutions in the Republic of Panama and the United States.

The intended outcomes of this project include:

A greater understanding of the Panamanian golden frog
A coordinated conservation effort by governmental agencies and nongovernmental organizations
Heightened awareness of current global amphibian declines,
Greater respect for wildlife among Panamanians and global citizens
Greater land preservation for threatened and endangered species throughout the world.

This organization will use education and field studies, producing offspring through the already captive toads, and offering financial support to help preserve these toads.

The Amphibian Recovery Conservation Coalition (2004)

This was the coalition that exported the endangered amphibians to the US, believing it was a better environment for the endangered species.

In 2005, the Houston Zoo established the El Valle Amphibian Conservation Center (EVACC) in Panama, so the endangered frogs could have protected facilities in their native country. EVACC has become a tourist attraction and the populations of the housed species are watched closely by researchers.

Golden Frog Species Survival Program and Panama Amphibian Rescue and Conservation Project

Golden Frog Species Survival Program (SSP) is a collaboration between zoos and NGOs. The program works to protect the golden frog, as well as 12 other at-risk species of amphibians in Panama through the Panama Amphibian Rescue and Conservation Project (PARC). Through research and maintaining an assurance population of frogs in human care, including Panamanian golden frogs, the SSP hopes to avoid their extinction.

Aaaand that’s it! This week’s blog was froggin good, eh? I hope I didn’t froget anything because that would be unfrogivable. Ok I’ll stop bugging you.