Panama stubby frog
Panama stubby frog | ||||||||||||
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![]() Panama stubby frog ( Atelopus zeteki ) |
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Systematics | ||||||||||||
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Scientific name | ||||||||||||
Atelopus zeteki | ||||||||||||
Dunn , 1933 |
The Panama stubby frog ( Atelopus zeteki ) is a rare frog from the toad family (Bufonidae). It was scientifically named after the American entomologist James Zetek (1886-1959).
description
The Panama stumpy foot frog reaches a size of 3.5 to 4 centimeters. It is yellow-orange in color and has black spots on its back, flanks and head. To protect itself from predators, its smooth skin secretes the nerve toxin tetrodotoxin .
distribution
Its occurrence is limited to the region east of the Serranía de Tabasará mountain range in the Panamanian provinces of Coclé and Panamá .
Habitat and way of life
The habitat of this species are the rain-rich mountain forests of Panama at altitudes from 335 to 1315 m above sea level. Due to the high humidity, the stumpy-footed frog has relocated its breeding grounds in tree hollows filled with rainwater or in puddles. During mating, the males cling to the back of the females. The males are solely responsible for brood care . The females leave the territory after spawning . The development time of the tadpoles takes about four weeks. During this time the male defends his brood against other frogs. They are diurnal and hunt both on the ground and in trees. The diet consists of millipedes , ants , spiders and beetles .
Danger
The reasons for the decline of the Panama stumpet frog are diverse. Causes are, for example, the clearing of the Panamanian forests and with it the loss of its habitat and the capture for the illegal animal trade. The fungal disease chytridiomycosis , to which over 80 percent of the population has already fallen victim over the past ten years, was even more devastating . The species is believed to have died out in Cerro Campano. The El Chocó population also collapsed dramatically in 2004 and is now considered extinct in the wild. In 2007, the last known wild population of the Panama stumpy foot frog in the Valle de Anton was documented by David Attenborough in the series Life in Cold Blood . To save the species from extinction, the Houston Zoo has set up the "El Valle Amphibian Conservation Center" in the Valle de Anton, where this species has already been successfully bred.
Web links
- Pictures of Atelopus zeteki and information on the decline in stocks at www.waza.org (English)
- Entry on AmphibiaWeb
- Markus Kappeler - Panama stumpy foot frog
- Atelopus zeteki inthe IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2013.1. Posted by: Karen Lips, Frank Solís, Roberto Ibáñez, César Jaramillo, Querube Fuenmayor, 2008. Retrieved November 19, 2013.