Panama’s Golden Frogs

By BobbyRica | November 11, 2008

Frogs aren’t exactly animals that tourists seek out. Only a few would dare touch them and they’re hardly cute cuddly pets. But in Panama, a rare species of frogs are put to the pedestal.

Considered to be a national symbol of the country, the Panamanian golden frogs even figure into their local mythology. These hopping animals are believed to magically turn into gold when snuffed out of life- reason enough for some people to think that they are a bringer of good luck.

What’s really cool about these golden frogs, aside from their striking colors, is the fact that they don’t have eardrums! So, how the hell do they get off surviving each day without a sense of hearing? It’s the same with how deaf people would- they communicate by waving their hands! If you want to be scientific about it, these frogs display this odd behaviour called semaphore where they wave their forelegs to make a statement. Some scientists say that these rare species manifest another unusual deed. They have observed that the male species appear to walk carefully from rock to rock when approaching another male, which they deem to be a sign of respect for territory.

After all these tidbits of information, you must be giddy now for a go-see of Panama’s prized golden frogs. Here’s a heartbreaker though, these creatures have just been declared extinct in the wild. The golden frogs were wiped out by a fungus called chytrid, an infectious skin disease causing astounding declines in frog population. A good number of these yellow and black-spotted creatures however are now held in captivity. Unfortunately, when they will return to the wild is a question no one can answer for now.