The national animal of Panama is the Panamanian golden frog. This small animal is highly symbolic to the people of Panama and embodies a number of things from basic personal good luck to broader national values. It features prominently on a great deal of Panamanian tourist merchandise.
The Panamanian golden frog may not be the most striking or impressive animal in the world, compared to something like an elephant, but nonetheless they have become highly important to the people in a symbolic sense.
This little frog has come to be the focus of a great deal of national tradition.
Let’s find out more.
What is the national animal of Panama?
The national animal of Panama is the Panamanian golden frog.
This is a species of toad which, unsurprisingly, is endemic to Panama.
They inhabit the streams along the mountain slopes of the cloud forests west-central Panama.
So, despite its name, it is actually a toad rather than a frog–although it is worth pointing out that, taxonomically speaking, all toads are a kind of frog.
They live for around 12 years, and they communicate via semaphore, meaning that they communicate with each other by the means of “hand” signals and waving.
This is very unusual among frogs.
They will wave at rivals as well as at potential mates, though they will also use more typical frog-like vocalizations to communicate.
Given that they very often live near fast-moving, loud mountain streams, it’s thought that this evolved in order that they could communicate over the sound of the loud stream.
Males live near the streams most of the time since this is where breeding takes place, but the females will move further into the forest outside of breeding season.
They are yellow spotted with black dots, though the skin color can vary slightly from yellow-green to bright gold.
They also do not always display the black spots. Females are usually larger than the males in size–females are typically around 1.8 to 2.5 inches long, weighing less than half an ounce.
Males do not usually exceed 1.9 inches in length, and can weigh as little as 0.11 ounces.
Like other frogs they go through multiple stages to reach adulthood, generally separated into four stages: tadpole, juvenile, subadult and finally adult.
They emerge from their eggs after 2 to 10 days of development.
Why, then, are they the national animal of Panama?
Why is the Panamanian golden frog the national animal of Panama?
The golden frog is a highly important symbolic animal in Panama and it represents a number of different things, on a metaphorical level, to the people of Panama.
They appear a great deal in local mythology and are even printed on national lottery tickets in Panama.
A toad on death is though to turn to gold and bring good luck to any who sees it.
August 14th is celebrated as “national frog day” in Panama, and this is celebrated with a parade and other festivities.
Clearly, then, the frog broadly speaking is a symbol of good luck.
On a more literal level, though, they are simply thought of as among the nation’s most beautiful creatures.
This, then, is seen to be a reflection of the beauty of Panama itself, and the frog is the greatest embodiment of this.
They are highly revered, also, for this reason.
Sadly, though, the frog is at best in a very precarious position–some believe it may already be extinct in the Panama wilds.
By making them the national animal, though, the government of Panama hopes to bring attention to their situation and to help aid the population and bring it back from the brink.
Is the golden frog poisonous?
Golden frogs are extremely poisonous, and even a light touch on your skin could be cause for extreme concern.
They are considered among the most toxic of all frog species and their poison has been known to cause death in as little as 30 minutes from contact.
Though they are seen as symbols of good luck, then, they are not to be interacted with directly as this could pose very serious health risks and even death.
They are a two-edged sword, then–lucky to behold but extremely dangerous to be touched, so keep that in mind!
Is the golden frog extinct?
This is the all-important question.
They may well have been extinct in the wild since at least 2007, as there have been no verified sightings since that time.
It’s very hard, much harder, in fact, than you might think, to verify sightings of a frog that is so small.
Either way, the species is critically endangered, and their future is poised on a knife-edge–what happens in the coming years will depend a great deal on human action.
So, whether the frog even survives today is not known for sure.
It may be that they have been extinct in the wild for more than a decade, though individuals do survive in captivity.
In any case, they endure as a popular symbol to the people of Panama and internationally are one of the nation’s most recognized motifs.
Their future in the wild hangs in the balance at best, though, and so hopefully with greater awareness change can be brought to this frog’s fate.