Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hey- I've been doing some research on these beautiful creatures and was wondering if there was a possibility of any remaining. Were they confined to just one small pond? Thanks! Brooks

doubtful. With new forest hectacres destroyed every day, lots of unusual weather patterns from global warming, I don't think its likely.

Be thankful though, they found a reminant, presumably extinct population of Atelopus varius, black and red harlequin toad still there, and Ron Giglarido of Atlanta Botanical Gardens hopes to breed them and release them back into the wild.

Actually, that was a population that had not been discovered (at least by science) and originally found by Justin Yeager. Atelopus varius in general had been believed extinct since known areas where they were found had not had any sitings in the new century. Since they didn't know to look in this (very remote) location, they thought the species was only survived by some Panamanian populations.

Sadly this trend is occuring with much of the rest of the Atelopus genus, many subspecies and whole species going extinct, a few for unknown reasons in untouched forest.

The golden toad though has not been cited in a much longer period of time, and scientists have looked repeatidly in the areas they were known to breed. Some ideas floated around about them being dormant or what not, but most hope has been lost as the years have slipped by.