Panamanian golden frog

A small golden treasure

The Panamanian golden frog (Atelopus zeteki) is in fact a small toad of the family Bufonidae, with a slender body and smooth skin of a bright golden yellow, sometimes flecked with black. Its vivid colour is an aposematic signal: it warns predators of its dangerous toxicity, as its skin contains potent poisons. It is endemic to a small mountainous area of west-central Panama.

Habitat and range

It lived along the streams of the montane cloud forests around El Valle de Antón and the Altos de Campana park. It favoured humid, cool habitats near running water, among rocks and streamside vegetation.

Behaviour and communication

It feeds on small invertebrates. A fascinating trait is its way of communicating: in the roar of the streams, where sound calls are lost, these toads use a form of sign language — they wave and rotate a front foot (a kind of "greeting" or semaphore) to signal presence and territory to rivals.

Did you know?

It is a national symbol of Panama, present in its culture, tradition and even on lottery tickets. Its scientific name honours the American entomologist James Zetek, who long worked as a naturalist in Panama.

Conservation

The IUCN lists it as Critically Endangered, but it is likely extinct in the wild since the mid-2000s, largely because of the deadly fungal disease chytridiomycosis as well as habitat loss. It survives thanks to captive-breeding programmes that preserve its last individuals in the hope of future reintroduction.