Panamanian Golden Frog

The Panamanian golden frog is a toad in the family Bufonidae, found historically in cloud forest streams of west-central Panama, where it is a cultural symbol appearing on lottery tickets and in folklore as a bringer of good luck. Its skin ranges from bright yellow to green-gold, often marked with dark patches, and secretes potent steroidal toxins that make it unpalatable to predators. Because rushing mountain streams drown out vocal calls, the species communicates with a semaphore-like hand-waving gesture unusual among frogs. It has not been confirmed in the wild since the mid-2000s, driven to the brink by the chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, and now survives mainly in captive-breeding programs such as the Panama Amphibian Rescue and Conservation Project, with the IUCN listing it as critically endangered.