Panamanian golden toad, (Atelopus zeteki), small, bright yellow toad, often with a few black spots or blotches, that is found at moderate elevations in the central part of Panama. Considered to be one of the most beautiful frogs in Panama, where it is endangered and legally protected, the golden toad has attracted so much attention that it has become a national symbol.
The Panamanian golden toad’s skin contains a potent water-soluble toxin called zetekitoxin, which affects nerve cells and protects the toad from most predators. However, if minor precautions are taken, these toads can be safely handled.
Aspects of its natural history are not fully investigated. Females are larger than males, measuring about 53 mm (2 inches) to the males’ 45 mm (1.8 inches). The toad is terrestrial and diurnal (active during the day). Males maintain small territories along forest streams. When males encounter one another, they sometimes engage in waving of their forefeet as a signal of aggression or defense. Males also communicate acoustically, emitting a very soft and trilled mating call. Eggs are presumably laid in strings attached to rocks at the bottom of fast-flowing streams, where the tadpoles develop and grow. The tadpoles have a ventral sucker that may be used for remaining attached to rocks or other substrata in the streams. Panamanian golden toads and other species of the genus Atelopus are members of the family Bufonidae, as are most toads. Some authorities, however, classify the genera Atelopus and Bradycephalus as a separate family called the stub-footed toads (Atelopodidae).
Officially, the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) has classified the Panamanian golden toad as a critically endangered species, noting that it could be extinct in the wild. The most recent census of the species, which was conducted in 2018, reported that there were fewer than 50 adults remaining.