Panamanian golden frog
Encyclopedia
The Panamanian golden frog (Atelopus zeteki) is a critically endangered
toad which is endemic to Panama
. It has been considered a subspecies
of A. varius
, but is now generally regarded as a separate species. While the IUCN still lists it as critically endangered
, it may have been extinct in the wild
since 2007. Individuals have been collected for breeding in captivity in a bid to preserve the species.
, the golden frog, despite being smooth-skinned and frog-like in appearance, is classified as a "true toad
" (Bufonidae). Like other frogs and toads, the golden frog is capable of secreting poison to help protect themselves from predators. In the case of the golden frog, this is a water-soluble neurotoxin
called zetekitoxin.
In dry habitat, the adult male measures 35 millimetres (1.4 in) to 40 millimetres (1.6 in) and weighs 3 gram (0.105821886315336 oz) to 5 gram (0.17636981052556 oz). The adult female ranges from 45 to 55 mm and from 4 to 7 g. It is larger in wet forests, where the male can grow to 48 mm and weigh up to 12 g, and the female can be as large as 63 mm and weigh up to 15 g. They inhabit tropical forest regions, particularly on mountains, near streams.
These frogs are unusual in that they communicate by a form of semaphore
, waving at rivals and prospective mates, in addition to the sounds more usual among frogs. This adaptation
is thought to have evolved
in the golden frog because of the noise of the fast-moving streams which formed their natural habitat. Males tend to stay near the streams were breeding occurs, while in the non-breeding season females retreat into the forests. Males have a soft call they use to entice prospective mates, grabbing the female and hanging on when she crosses his path. If she is receptive, she will tolerate his amplexing; if not she will attempt to buck him off by arching the spine.
Amplexus
can last from a few days to a couple of months, with oviposition
ing usually taking place in shallow stream.
Tadpoles
emerge from the eggs after 2-10 days and bury themselves into crevices where they remain for up to two weeks. At this point, they become a blackish-gold coloration as melanin
floods the dermal layers, giving the larvae protection from the sun. The larvae
feed on algae until they metamorph.
experts and appears to be used for a variety of social situations, from friendly waves to signals to back off. A fake frog with a moving hand was used, and after repeated hand waving, the authentic frog attacked.
The species was filmed for the very last time in the wild in 2007 by the BBC Natural History Unit for the series Life in Cold Blood
by David Attenborough
. The remaining few specimens were taken into captivity and the location of filming was kept secret to protect them from potential poachers.
Populations of amphibians, including the golden frog, suffered major declines possibly due to the fungal infection, chytridiomycosis
, which is an invasive fungal pathogen that reached El Valle, the home of the Panamanian Golden Frog in 2006. Additional factors, such as habitat loss and pollution, may have also played a role.
"Project Golden Frog" is a conservation project involving scientific, educational, and zoological institutions in the Republic of Panama and United States. The intended outcomes of this project are: greater understanding of the golden frog, coordinated conservation effort by governmental agencies and non-governmental organizations, heightened awareness of current global amphibian declines, greater respect among Panamanians and global citizens concerning wildlife, and greater land preservation for threatened and endangered species throughout the world. This organization will use education, field studies, producing offspring through the already captive frogs, and offering financial support to help preserve these frogs.
Critically endangered
Version 2010.3 of the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species identified 3744 Critically Endangered species, subspecies and varieties, stocks and subpopulations.Critically Endangered by kingdom:*1993 Animalia*2 Fungi*1745 Plantae*4 Protista-References:...
toad which is endemic to Panama
Panama
Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
. It has been considered a subspecies
Subspecies
Subspecies in biological classification, is either a taxonomic rank subordinate to species, ora taxonomic unit in that rank . A subspecies cannot be recognized in isolation: a species will either be recognized as having no subspecies at all or two or more, never just one...
of A. varius
Atelopus varius
The Costa Rican Variable Harlequin Toad , also known as the clown frog, is a neo-tropical true toad from the family Bufonidae . Once ranging from Costa Rica to Panama, A...
, but is now generally regarded as a separate species. While the IUCN still lists it as critically endangered
Critically endangered
Version 2010.3 of the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species identified 3744 Critically Endangered species, subspecies and varieties, stocks and subpopulations.Critically Endangered by kingdom:*1993 Animalia*2 Fungi*1745 Plantae*4 Protista-References:...
, it may have been extinct in the wild
Extinct in the Wild
Extinct in the Wild is a conservation status assigned to species or lower taxa, the only known living members of which are being kept in captivity or as a naturalized population outside its historic range.-Examples:...
since 2007. Individuals have been collected for breeding in captivity in a bid to preserve the species.
Description
Although known as a frogFrog
Frogs are amphibians in the order Anura , formerly referred to as Salientia . Most frogs are characterized by a short body, webbed digits , protruding eyes and the absence of a tail...
, the golden frog, despite being smooth-skinned and frog-like in appearance, is classified as a "true toad
True toad
Bufonidae is the family of the true toads, members of the order Anura . They are the only family of anurans all members of which are known as "toads." The bufonids now comprise more than 35 genera, Bufo being the most widespread and well known.-Characteristics:True toads are widespread and occur...
" (Bufonidae). Like other frogs and toads, the golden frog is capable of secreting poison to help protect themselves from predators. In the case of the golden frog, this is a water-soluble neurotoxin
Neurotoxin
A neurotoxin is a toxin that acts specifically on nerve cells , usually by interacting with membrane proteins such as ion channels. Some sources are more general, and define the effect of neurotoxins as occurring at nerve tissue...
called zetekitoxin.
In dry habitat, the adult male measures 35 millimetres (1.4 in) to 40 millimetres (1.6 in) and weighs 3 gram (0.105821886315336 oz) to 5 gram (0.17636981052556 oz). The adult female ranges from 45 to 55 mm and from 4 to 7 g. It is larger in wet forests, where the male can grow to 48 mm and weigh up to 12 g, and the female can be as large as 63 mm and weigh up to 15 g. They inhabit tropical forest regions, particularly on mountains, near streams.
Reproduction
Flag semaphore
Semaphore Flags is the system for conveying information at a distance by means of visual signals with hand-held flags, rods, disks, paddles, or occasionally bare or gloved hands. Information is encoded by the position of the flags; it is read when the flag is in a fixed position...
, waving at rivals and prospective mates, in addition to the sounds more usual among frogs. This adaptation
Adaptation
An adaptation in biology is a trait with a current functional role in the life history of an organism that is maintained and evolved by means of natural selection. An adaptation refers to both the current state of being adapted and to the dynamic evolutionary process that leads to the adaptation....
is thought to have evolved
Evolution
Evolution is any change across successive generations in the heritable characteristics of biological populations. Evolutionary processes give rise to diversity at every level of biological organisation, including species, individual organisms and molecules such as DNA and proteins.Life on Earth...
in the golden frog because of the noise of the fast-moving streams which formed their natural habitat. Males tend to stay near the streams were breeding occurs, while in the non-breeding season females retreat into the forests. Males have a soft call they use to entice prospective mates, grabbing the female and hanging on when she crosses his path. If she is receptive, she will tolerate his amplexing; if not she will attempt to buck him off by arching the spine.
Amplexus
Amplexus
Amplexus is a form of pseudocopulation in which a male amphibian grasps a female with his front legs as part of the mating process...
can last from a few days to a couple of months, with oviposition
Oviposition
Oviposition is the process of laying eggs by oviparous animals.Some arthropods, for example, lay their eggs with an organ called the ovipositor.Fish , amphibians, reptiles, birds and monetremata also lay eggs....
ing usually taking place in shallow stream.
Tadpoles
Tadpoles
Tadpoles are a psychedelic rock band formed in 1990 in New York City by Todd Parker , Michael Kite Audino and Josh Bracken In 1992, Nick Kramer , David Max and Andrew Jackson of the fledgling Manhattan group, Hit, joined the Tadpoles after putting Hit on hiatus.In 1993 Kite and Jackson left the...
emerge from the eggs after 2-10 days and bury themselves into crevices where they remain for up to two weeks. At this point, they become a blackish-gold coloration as melanin
Melanin
Melanin is a pigment that is ubiquitous in nature, being found in most organisms . In animals melanin pigments are derivatives of the amino acid tyrosine. The most common form of biological melanin is eumelanin, a brown-black polymer of dihydroxyindole carboxylic acids, and their reduced forms...
floods the dermal layers, giving the larvae protection from the sun. The larvae
Larvae
In Roman mythology, lemures were shades or spirits of the restless or malignant dead, and are probably cognate with an extended sense of larvae as disturbing or frightening...
feed on algae until they metamorph.
Behavior
The golden frog appears to socialize with other frogs using sounds from the throat and hand waving. This hand waving was investigated by a group of amphibianAmphibian
Amphibians , are a class of vertebrate animals including animals such as toads, frogs, caecilians, and salamanders. They are characterized as non-amniote ectothermic tetrapods...
experts and appears to be used for a variety of social situations, from friendly waves to signals to back off. A fake frog with a moving hand was used, and after repeated hand waving, the authentic frog attacked.
Conservation status
Life in Cold Blood
Life in Cold Blood is a BBC nature documentary series written and presented by David Attenborough, first transmitted in the UK from 4 February 2008 on BBC One....
by David Attenborough
David Attenborough
Sir David Frederick Attenborough OM, CH, CVO, CBE, FRS, FZS, FSA is a British broadcaster and naturalist. His career as the face and voice of natural history programmes has endured for more than 50 years...
. The remaining few specimens were taken into captivity and the location of filming was kept secret to protect them from potential poachers.
Populations of amphibians, including the golden frog, suffered major declines possibly due to the fungal infection, chytridiomycosis
Chytridiomycosis
Chytridiomycosis is an infectious disease of amphibians, caused by the chytrid Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, a non-hyphal zoosporic fungus. Chytridiomycosis has been linked to dramatic population declines or even extinctions of amphibian species in western North America, Central America, South...
, which is an invasive fungal pathogen that reached El Valle, the home of the Panamanian Golden Frog in 2006. Additional factors, such as habitat loss and pollution, may have also played a role.
"Project Golden Frog" is a conservation project involving scientific, educational, and zoological institutions in the Republic of Panama and United States. The intended outcomes of this project are: greater understanding of the golden frog, coordinated conservation effort by governmental agencies and non-governmental organizations, heightened awareness of current global amphibian declines, greater respect among Panamanians and global citizens concerning wildlife, and greater land preservation for threatened and endangered species throughout the world. This organization will use education, field studies, producing offspring through the already captive frogs, and offering financial support to help preserve these frogs.
In culture
The Panamanian golden frog is something of a national symbol, appearing on state lottery tickets and in local mythology. It is thought that when the frog dies it turns to gold. It is believed that the frog brings good luck to those fortunate enough to see it. In 2010 the Panamanian Government passed legislation recognizing August 14 as National Golden Frog Day the main celebration event is marked annually by a parade in the streets of El Valle de Anton, and a display of golden frogs at the El Valle Amphibian Conservation Center in the El Nispero Zoo, El Valle.External links
- Oakland Zoo
- St. Louis Zoo
- Smithsonian's National Zoological Park
- Project Golden Frog Species information
- Houston Zoo
- Discover Life website: Atelopus zeteki
- Discover Life website: Species ID tool
- Global Amphibian Assessment Atelopus zeteki - Golden Arrow Poison Frog, Golden Frog, Panamanian Golden Frog, Zetek's Golden Frog
- Panamanian Golden Frog Description Panama Travel Guides and Attractions