How do Panamanian frogs communicate? golden frog

Frogs and toads are probably the most common amphibians on our planet. They are so diverse that we didn’t even suspect the existence of some.

Very poisonous, even one touch causes allergic reaction. Male Panamanian frogs make a whistle and a loud, long-lasting sound that can be heard throughout the forest. An interesting thing is that frogs communicate with each other using the semaphore system - a system of gestures and touches. It is believed that this species of frog has evolved such unusual shape communication due to strong noise in reservoirs. To attract attention, frogs wave or raise their paws.

One of the largest representatives of the amphibian world. The frog reaches an average length of 20 cm, and average weight- half a kilogram. But there are real giants - in 1949, in the US state of Washington, a fish weighing 3 kg 250 grams was caught. An interesting fact is that the bullfrog is one of the top ten on Earth.

An extremely poisonous frog. The Indians of Peru and Ecuador catch dart frogs and dip their arrows in their poison. Fertilized eggs are laid in wet soil. When tadpoles are born, they are attached to the male's back and he carries the babies to trees, where water collects in leaves and flowers. The male dart frog guards the pools with tadpoles, the female feeds them with unfertilized eggs.

Razor-faced frog or marsh frog- the back is light brown, olive in color. From the eyes and almost to the shoulders there is a dark stripe, which narrows towards the end. The muzzle is pointed. It seems like an inconspicuous frog, but... but during the mating season it turns blue.

normal state

during the mating season

Hairy frog- from the name it is clear that the frog has unusual appearance. During the breeding season, the body of males is covered with patches of skin, like hair. The hairy amphibian is distinguished not only by its bizarre appearance, but also the ability to release “claws” like a cat. In times of danger, the bones on her fingers pierce the skin and form peculiar claws.

Paradoxical frog. Lives in South America. The adult specimen does not differ in anything peculiar - small in size - about 6 cm, green in color. But the tadpole of the paradoxical frog grows up to 25 cm in length.

Scutopum, also known as . It has an unusual body shape - it is perfectly round. At the moment of danger, it takes in air and becomes spherical, while straightening its legs, puffing its lips and making loud, frightening sounds. Tadpoles practice cannibalism - they eat each other.

Vietnamese moss frog or lichen copepod- owner of the most camouflage skin among the frogs. It almost completely merges with external environment, even her eyes seem camouflaged among the moss.

Not only has a bizarre appearance, but also unusual way raising offspring. The female lays eggs in a puddle, but when the embryos begin to move, the male swallows them. The eggs with tadpoles are located in a special pouch in the male’s throat. When the offspring grows up and is ready for independent life, the baby frogs begin to jump in the male’s throat, after which he spits them out.

Nosoha toad or big-nosed toad- eater of ants and termites. Outwardly, it is very similar to a mole, and just like a mole, it spends almost its entire life underground and digs tunnels. The long-nosed toad's tunnels and burrows lead to anthills and termite mounds - the frog's only food source.

Panamanian golden frog (atelope zeteki listen)) is a species of toad endemic to Panama. Panamanian golden frogs inhabit streams along the mountain slopes of the Cordilleran cloud forests of west-central Panama. While the IUCN lists it as critically endangered, it may actually be extinct in the wild as of 2007. Individuals have been collected for captive breeding in an attempt to conserve the species. Alternative common name, Zetek's golden frog, and the epithet zeteki as a memorial to entomologist James Zetek.

Description

Despite common name The Panamanian golden frog is a toad, a member of the family Bufonidae. It was first described as a subspecies of atelopes VARIUS, but is now classified as a separate species.

The Panamanian golden frog is a national symbol and is considered one of the most beautiful frogs in Panama. Skin color varies from light yellow-green to bright gold, with some people showing black spots on the back and legs. Women tend to have larger bodies than men; females typically range from 45 to 63 mm (1.8 to 2.5 in) in length and 4 to 15 g (0.14 to 0.53 oz) in weight, with males ranging from 35 to 48 millimeters ( 1.4 and 1.9 inches) in length and 3 and 12 g (0.11 and 0.42 oz) in weight.

toxicity

The Panamanian golden frog has a variety of toxins, including the steroidal bufadienolides and guanidinium alkaloids in the tetrodotoxin class. One of the latest, zetekitoxin AB, has been found to be a voltage-dependent sodium channel blocker several orders of magnitude more potent than its counterpart saxitoxin. Their toxin is soluble in water and affects nerve cells those who come into contact with him. Panamanian golden frogs use this toxin to protect themselves from most predators. Because of the risk of testing the poison on the human body, this was done with mice. Large doses can be fatal in 20 or 30 minutes. Death does not precede clonic ( grand TZA) convulsions while the circulatory and respiratory systems stop.

distribution

The Panamanian golden frog is endemic to Panama, living close to mountain streams on the eastern side of the Tabasará range in Cocle and PANAMA provinces. Its geographical range previously extended to the east, as in the city of El Cocle in the western province of Cocle before fungal disease chytridiomycosis, which caused the El Cope population to rapidly collapse in 2004. Vital habitats are lost annually to small-scale industrial Agriculture, forest areas operations, livestock range, expansion industrial production and development of the real estate market. Individuals are held in captivity by breeding programs in more than 50 institutions throughout North America and Panama.

ecology

The lifespan of the Panamanian golden frog is 12 years. This toad is unusual in that it communicates using a form of semaphore, waving to competitors and potential mates, in addition to sounds more common among frogs. This adaptation is believed to have evolved in the Panamanian golden frog due to the noise in fast-moving streams formed by its natural habitat. The male tends to stay near streams where breeding occurs, while during the nonbreeding season, the female goes into the forest. The male uses a soft call to entice potential mates, then captures the female and hangs when she crosses his path. If she is susceptible, she will tolerate Amplexus; if not, she will try to resist him by arching her spine. Amplexus can last from a few days to several months, with oviposition usually occurring in a shallow stream.

Life story

Development A. zeteki can be divided into four stages: larva or tadpole, juvenile, immature and adult. In the larval stage, individuals emerge from the eggs after 2 to 10 days of development. They are fully aquatic creatures at this stage and are found in waters with a temperature range of 20.4 to 21.3 °C and depths of 5 to 35 cm. Once released, they mainly spend their time resting in the shallow pools below the cascades. This behavior is similar A. Certus. Wherever there are pools of water in a stream, they are likely to be found, as long as it is connected to the movement of channels. Tadpoles, however, do not venture into moving channels. Clinging to surfaces by sucking up their flattened abdomen, the larvae can be described as gastromyzophorous. They are typically about 5.8mm long and 4.3mm wide. Their snouts are rounded, as are their tails. The longest caudal fins on their tails are about three-fifths the length of the tail. Their mouths are large and surrounded ventrally by the labia, which form a continuous oral disc about 3.6 mm wide. The posterior lip has no papillae, but the other lips are lined with single rows of small, blunt papillae. They are colored dark brown to black dorsally, with gold flecks on their bodies. They develop these black and gold coloring as melanin floods their dermal layers, giving the larvae protection from the sun. When changing, their golden flecks are replaced by dark green. Tadpoles feed on algae and spend 6 to 7 months developing and growing.

The juveniles of this amphibian species have a much smaller range than subadults and adults. As a rule, juveniles are not found more than 2 m from their streams, and in Lately Metamorphosed juveniles are more likely to be found near flow pools abundant with tadpoles. Like their adult counterparts, juveniles go to higher ground and will retreat into trees to ward off predators; However, due to their small size, juveniles are not able to cover as much height as possible and climb as high into trees and bushes. At the onset of heavy and successive rains, juveniles flee from open streamsides, which are usually where mature adults, who are highly territorial, are known to roam. Territorial behavior of adult males may be initiated by these rains. Visually, the juvenile has a stigma-to-vent length ranging from 8.4 to 17.1 mm. Their dorsal coloration is a deep and vibrant green, which matches the color of the moss that grows on the rocks and around the streams of their habitat. There are also dark brown to black dorsal markings. Some of the teenagers are known to have small dark marks on their digits. Their bellies are white or goldenrod yellow, sometimes with dark markings that do not match the color of the ground.

The subadults of this species have a full range, but they are sometimes found near adult males, which are remarkable in that the males of this species are quite solitary and warlike in the presence of other males. Sub-adults are about 28.3 mm long and weigh about 1.1 g. They are greenish in color, which more closely resembles that of the metamorphic juvenile than the shiny and sometimes mottled golden color of the adult. The structuring of subadults is much darker than that of adults.

Behavior

Panamanian golden frog mating

The Panamanian golden frog appears to communicate with other amphibians by using sounds from the throat and hand curls as a semaphore of movement used in courtship. The movements can be friendly or aggressive warnings. This is an "earless" species of frog, meaning it lacks an eardrum. This does not, however, hinder his ability to communicate with other members of his species through throat sounds. Despite the absence of an eardrum, the "earless" frog responds to the vocalizations produced by members of its own species. The male frog responds to pulsed vocalizations, characterized by lower frequencies followed by higher high frequencies, and so on, by exhibiting antagonistic behavior, such as turning towards the source of the sound and producing pulsed vocalizations in response. The impulse call is used to demonstrate a man's position during combat situations. How Pied Harlequin, are very territorial, living in one place for most of their lives. As a result of this site of fidelity, he does not hesitate to hum when another male frog encroaches on his territory. If this is not enough to get the intruder away, the frog is hesitant to defend its territory at the expense of aggressive behavior. When meeting another man, male frogs wave their Paws as a sign of protection.

The Panamanian golden frog, in addition to recognizing sounds, can also find the source of the sound. This means that she is capable of directional hearing. In all other frog species, the role of the eardrum is to determine the direction of sound. Due to the very small size of the Panamanian golden frog, it is difficult to imagine another hearing system that does not involve an eardrum.

When A. zeteki meets a predator, often a wave, and lifts its leg on the predator to draw attention to its stunning and beautiful coloration. This coloration is a warning of its toxicity, which is enough for a predator to no longer consider the frog as food. If the predator continues to approach, undeterred by the frog's warnings of its toxicity, leg curling is often accompanied by vocalizations that will continue to increase in frequency and volume. Its toxicity is not a reliable method of protection, as in some animals, such as colubrid snakes Liophis epinephalus, are able to metabolize the poison of frogs. The ways to ward off predators and prevent predators differ in their diurnal habits compared to their nocturnal ones, especially because venom alone will not repel every predator. Adult males, which are active on the ground during the day, will retreat to trees and perch there at night. This is most likely a defense mechanism. If a predator approaches at night, the frog cannot rely on a visual escape strategy. They perch on trees because it gives them the advantage of hearing approaching predators or sensing their weight on a tree branch. The noise and tactile benefits of climbing a tree are better than the benefits of burying in the ground.

conservation

The Panamanian golden frog began disappearing from its highland forests in the late 1990s, triggering a scientific research and rescue, which continues today. It was filmed in last time Into the Wild in 2006 by the BBC's natural history division for the series Living in cold blood by David Attenborough. The remaining few specimens were captured and the filming location was kept secret to protect them from potential poachers. Although populations appear to be thriving in captivity, reintroducing them into the area will not be stopped by the threat of chytridiomycosis. There is currently no way to prevent or control the disease in wildlife, but efforts are being made. One attempt was made to protect wide range frogs from this disease using bacteria Janthinobacterium lividium which produces chemicals against infections; However, the skin of Panamanian golden frogs is unsuitable for the bacteria used. The San Diego Zoo began conservation efforts and received its first frogs in 2003. Since then, they have been able to successfully breed 500 in captivity, but will not release them into the wild until fungal disease is less of a threat. The San Diego Zoo is also sending money to Panama to keep up with conservation efforts in home country frogs.

Populations of amphibians, including the Panamanian golden frog, have suffered significant declines, possibly due to the fungal infection chytridiomycosis. The infection is caused by an invasive pathogenic fungus that reached El Valle, home of the Panamanian golden frog, in 2006, with additional factors such as habitat loss and pollution environment, may also have played a role.

The temperature at which these amphibians keep may be correlated with chytridiomycosis; the fungus is more common in colder conditions. If it happens cold period The frog's behavior and immunity may change around the same time more spores are released. When these frogs are infected with a fungus, their body temperature will rise to fight the fungus. However, even if the infection leaves the frog and the body temperature returns to previous normal levels, the infection may recur. Another study found that dry conditions added an average of 25 days to the life expectancy of infected individuals, while more high temperatures just added 4 days.

Not only are these frogs under threat from fungal disease, but they are also under threat from human development. How trees are cleared for housing construction and urbanization, habitat A. zeteki is destroyed. Other threats include encroachment on agriculture, pollution, the pet trade and aquaculture.

The Golden Frog Project is a conservation project involving scientific, educational and zoological institutions in the Republic of Panama and the United States of America. The intended results of this project include greater understanding of the Panamanian golden frog, coordinated conservation efforts by government agencies and non-governmental organizations, increased awareness of the current global amphibian decline, greater respect for wildlife among Panamanians and global citizens, and greater conservation of lands at risk and endangered species around the world. This organization will use education and field research, producing offspring through captive toads, and offering financial support to help conserve these toads.

Two significant efforts have been made to preserve these frogs. The Amphibian Recovery Conservation Coalition, which began in 2004, exported endangered amphibians to the US, believing that it was the best environment for the endangered species. In 2005, the Houston Zoo established the El Valle Amphibian Conservation Center (EVACC) in Panama so that the endangered frogs could protect facilities in their home country. EVACC has become a tourist attraction and its occupancy rates are closely monitored by researchers.

In early 2006, EVACC exceeded its residential capacity for golden frogs. To continue the collection efforts, a partnership was formed at the Campestre Hotel in El Valle through rooms 28 and 29 of the resort were loaded with terrariums as a stopgap measure. It was one of several efforts to preserve Elizabeth Colbert's covered Sixth Extinction: Unnatural History. More than 300 toads were kept at the so-called "golden frog inn" and were treated to daily cleansing rinses, 24-hour room service, and exotic cricket specialty dinners until beds could be made available at EVACC.

experiment

Before distribution Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis fungus in the Panamanian golden frog's habitat, conservation organizations collected Panamanian golden frogs and placed them in captive colonies to ensure survival. The skin of amphibians is host to a diverse resident bacterial community that acts as defense mechanism in some amphibians, suppress pathogens. The researchers characterized the bacterial community from wild and captive Panamanian golden frogs, originating from the same population with sequencing to assess how long-term captivity affected this community. Species richness, phylogenetic diversity, and community structure of the skin microbiota were found to differ significantly between wild and captive Panamanian golden frogs. However, after approximately eight years of life in captivity, the offspring of the original captive Panamanian golden frogs still share 70% of their microbial community with wild frogs. These results indicate that host associated microbial communities can be significantly altered adaptive control, but the majority of the community can be retained.

The Panamanian Golden Frog is an extremely poisonous amphibian; even just touching it causes a severe allergic reaction.

All species of the golden frog family contain hazardous substances on its skin, but the poison of the Panama golden frog is the most dangerous and toxic.

There is so much on the surface of her skin strong poison that it is enough to kill several healthy adult men. The Aborigines used this poison to coat arrowheads by rubbing them with the skin of a freshly caught frog.

The toxins of the golden frog are so unique that scientists have classified it as a separate type amphibians.

Where does such a small amphibian have so much poison? Scientists believe that the frog's body processes the food it eats, releasing and concentrating toxins from it, which are eventually excreted by glands on the surface of the skin. The poison of this little thing is called batrachotoxin (“batracho” - frog in Greek) and acts mainly on cardiovascular system And nervous system humans (and any other animal). There is only one animal in nature that is not afraid of this deadly frog and even feeds on them - this is a snake of the species Leimadophis Epinephelus.

Baby frogs are more poisonous than adults, so they can better protect themselves until they grow up. And the older they get, the yellower the color and the more black dots.

Male and female golden frogs have almost the same colors. It differs only in the degree of brightness and can be either light yellow or bright golden. They also have a few black spots on the back and legs, but sometimes none at all. Females are usually larger than males in body length (by about twenty-five percent) and in weight.

Panamanian golden frogs choose rainforests and dry forests near the Cordillera Mountains in Panama as their habitat. The most the best place for them these are bodies of water, and with fast current. During the day they are mainly busy hunting small insects. It seems strange that such a small creature could exist freely during the day, given that this species of frog is extremely poisonous, but the bright coloring warns predators that the frog is toxic and poses a serious danger. The closest relatives of this species live in South America and Madagascar, and also have bright colors, warning of how this type toxic.

Male Panama golden frogs make a whistle and are also capable of making two long, loud calls that can be heard throughout the forest. Golden frogs communicate using the so-called semaphore system. They use their forelimbs to establish contact with potential partners and opponents. As you know, most species of frogs communicate using croaking. However, there is a theory according to which this type of frog has developed the ability to communicate precisely through its limbs, due to high level noise from bodies of water in their habitat. Like many people with hearing damage, golden frogs communicate through sign language, signaling to each other. They "wave" their paws, or raise one paw up, to defend their territory, attract a male or female, and even to communicate when they meet. Research is still ongoing on this rare method of communication for frogs.

It's official now golden frog They are considered to be on the verge of extinction; there are probably no more of them left in nature. In 2006, scientists were forced to remove the remaining toads from wildlife in order to save the species.

The exact reason for the disappearance of the golden frog is unknown. But, most likely, the catastrophic decline in the population of the frog, like many other species of atelopes, was caused by chytridiomycetes fungi.

The golden frog is one of the national symbols Panama, her image can be seen on lottery tickets, she is mentioned in local mythology.

In Panamanian schools, students are told that, according to folklore (even before Columbus discovered America), when this frog died, it turned into gold. This little frog is believed to bring good luck. And for many years, figurines in the shape of a golden frog have been placed in hotels and restaurants, as well as souvenirs made of gold and given to people as a talisman. All in order to find success. There was a belief that when a golden toad dies, it turns into gold. It was also believed that it brought good luck even to those who simply saw it.

The Panamanian golden frog, or Atelopus zeteki, belongs to the family of True toads (lat. Bufonidae). According to Indian beliefs, after death she turns into pure gold. Even a fleeting touch to her skin causes severe burns and an allergic reaction.

It received its scientific name in honor of the American entomologist of Czech origin, James Cetek, who became famous for his research into the effect of chemicals on termites and methods of protecting furniture from their invasion. Her image is placed on the tickets of the national Panamanian lottery, so it is perceived by many as a symbol of the country.

This amphibian is one of the most poisonous creatures on our planet. To protect against predators, the surface of its body contains the neurotoxin tetrodotoxin, which has a neuroparalytic effect. His concentration is quite enough to send several people to the next world.

Local Indians traditionally smear arrowheads with it before hunting and keep these dangerous but cute creatures as pets.

The species was first described in 1933 by American zoologist Emmett Ride Dunn.

Spreading

Atelope Ceteca is one of the endemic species of Central America. Currently found only in the central regions of Panama. The last remaining populations of the golden frog are in the provinces of Western Panama and Cocle. They live in the vicinity of the small town of El Valle de Anton and in national park Altos de Campana at altitudes of 330-1300 m above sea level.

The species Atelopus zeteki is at the stage of extinction. At the Houston Zoo (USA), work is underway to breed it in captivity with further settlement in conditions natural environment a habitat. Amphibians inhabit rainwater rainforests and can conduct both ground and wood image life.

Frogs are often infected with the deadly fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis. They are unable to develop immunity against it, which has led to a catastrophic decline in their numbers. It has not yet been possible to create effective medicines for this scourge.

Communication

Panamanian golden frogs communicate with each other through throaty sounds and intricate movements of their legs. The arsenal of communication signals is quite extensive and can transmit a relatively large amount of information. Gestures are used primarily to establish hierarchical structure, social relationships, and to demonstrate hostility or friendliness.

Living amphibians perceive the position of the limbs of inanimate mannequins as a call to action, and after a combination that is unpleasant to them, they can become truly furious and attack their artificial tribesmen. Sound signals more often used to attract individuals of the opposite sex and when danger arises.

Nutrition

Larvae feed on microorganisms; adults eat insects, spiders and centipedes. Hunting is carried out during daylight hours. Its peak activity occurs in the morning and evening hours.

The frog looks for prey mainly on the surface of the soil, walking on fallen leaves.

If necessary, it deftly jumps onto branches and gets trophies there. The predator hunts from ambush, grabbing its prey with a lightning-fast movement of its tongue.

Reproduction

The golden frog reaches sexual maturity at one year of age. Mating season takes place in the summer during the rainy season, when floods form, so tree hollows filled with water or shallow depressions on hills are used for spawning.

Males croak tirelessly to attract females. Egg laying and fertilization occur simultaneously. There are up to 100 eggs in one clutch, of which no more than 70-90% are fertilized.

For several days, the male guards the clutch alone, waiting for the offspring to be born while incubation lasts.

If by this moment the water in the hollow or puddle has dried, then caring father transfers his children to the nearest other body of water.

Tadpole development continues for up to 4 weeks. Lack of food leads to cannibalism among the larvae. The lucky survivors undergo a complete metamorphosis and turn into young frogs about 10 mm long and weighing 1 g. They have a green color, which gradually disappears as they grow older.

Description

The body length of males reaches 35-47 cm, and females 45-63 mm. Weight ranges from 4 to 15 g. The slender body looks very fragile.

The smooth skin is colored yellow or orange with many dark spots various shapes. The head is slightly tapered towards a short muzzle.

Large eyes with elliptical pupils are located far forward on the sides of the head. The ears are not visible, the eardrum is covered with skin. Venom glands are located behind the eyes.

The lifespan of the Panamanian golden frog is about 12 years.