Notes from the Artist, Jenny Kendler: The print's color is true to life; these amphibians truly are this vibrant and splendid sulphurous color. Panamanian Golden Frogs are nature's bling-bling, and so infinitely more special than a diamond ring. These guys really captured my heart. Watch the video and you'll understand. Part of the video made by the BBC crew can be seen here, and a longer, though less high-quality, version here.
More about Project Golden Frog: Your purchase of this print funds Project Golden Frog, whose main initiative is to raise money for their ACT grants --- which fund researchers working with Panamanian Golden Frogs and other Harlequin Frogs in the wild. At least 110 species of Harlequin Frogs once existed in tropical Central and South America, but since the '80s nearly one-third have vanished. PGF's funding comes exclusively from donations, such as the one you're making by purchasing this print!
CLICK HERE to add this print to your cart and pay online, or CLICK HERE to pay by check.
More about Project Golden Frog: Your purchase of this print funds Project Golden Frog, whose main initiative is to raise money for their ACT grants --- which fund researchers working with Panamanian Golden Frogs and other Harlequin Frogs in the wild. At least 110 species of Harlequin Frogs once existed in tropical Central and South America, but since the '80s nearly one-third have vanished. PGF's funding comes exclusively from donations, such as the one you're making by purchasing this print!
CLICK HERE to add this print to your cart and pay online, or CLICK HERE to pay by check.
ABOUT THE PANAMANIAN GOLDEN FROG
In June of 2006, Sir David Attenborough, (my hero!), and a BBC film crew traveled to the rainforests of Panama to film this charming and elusive amphibian for the documentary series Life in Cold Blood. Attenborough and the team aimed to capture the Panamanian Golden Frog’s behavior in it’s natural habitat --- which by 2006 was thought to have been reduced to isolated streams in the forests of Panama. The streams’ whereabouts were kept secret for fear of poachers: both local people who regard the frog as good luck talismans, and amphibian “collectors.”
The Golden Frog once roamed the forest waterways over much of Panama, but due to the recent encroachment of the chytrid fungus (the cause of the amphibian disease Chytridiomycosis), as well as poaching for collections, and habitat loss, the Panamanian Golden Frog's habitat has been drastically reduced.
The chytrid fungus, which eventually suffocates and kills most of its amphibian victims, is the leading cause of amphibian deaths and extinctions world-wide. Due to the chytrid fungus and habitat loss, nearly one-third of all amphibians are extinct or threatened. The fungus was possibly spread by the introduction of non-native species, such as Xenopus laevis, which was widely exported for pregnancy tests in the 30s, but its origins remain little understood. It is likely that Climate Change is accelerating the spread of the fungus, which has already been largely responsible for many recent amphibian extinctions. In modern times, 38 amphibians have been confirmed extinct, according to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, and a further 159 species may have also vanished forever.
The main goal of the BBC film crew, other than simply documenting the special beauty of the Panamanian Golden Frog, was to capture on film an incredible behavioral sequence, where males approaching other males “wave” to them to signal their intent. This charming semaphore likely evolved due to the difficulty in making calls audible over the rushing of mountain streams.
Sadly, just after filming by the BBC crew wrapped, scientists determined that the chytrid fungus was quickly approaching the frogs' safe-hold, and removed the remaining frogs into captivity --- where they could be protected from poachers and treated for fungal infection.
Accurate population counts on the Panamanian Golden Frog are hard to find, but ESPP was assisted by Thomas J. Weaver of Project Golden Frog, who let us know that less than 100 frogs have been counted in the past two years --- and though some information states that Golden Frogs are extinct in the wild, recent evidence shows that small wild populations do remain. These populations' locations remain unknown.
Currently, active breeding programs are underway at several zoos and institutions, such as the Denver Zoo, the Smithsonian Natural Zoological Park and the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore. At this time, due to the continued prevalence of the chytrid fungus, the captive Golden Frogs are not viable for release into the wild, but it is the eventual hope of these breeding programs (and ESPP!) that these unique creatures may once again thrive in their natural environment. Your purchase of this print means a lot to Project Golden Frog, and will help set this species on the road to recovery!
In June of 2006, Sir David Attenborough, (my hero!), and a BBC film crew traveled to the rainforests of Panama to film this charming and elusive amphibian for the documentary series Life in Cold Blood. Attenborough and the team aimed to capture the Panamanian Golden Frog’s behavior in it’s natural habitat --- which by 2006 was thought to have been reduced to isolated streams in the forests of Panama. The streams’ whereabouts were kept secret for fear of poachers: both local people who regard the frog as good luck talismans, and amphibian “collectors.”
The Golden Frog once roamed the forest waterways over much of Panama, but due to the recent encroachment of the chytrid fungus (the cause of the amphibian disease Chytridiomycosis), as well as poaching for collections, and habitat loss, the Panamanian Golden Frog's habitat has been drastically reduced.
The chytrid fungus, which eventually suffocates and kills most of its amphibian victims, is the leading cause of amphibian deaths and extinctions world-wide. Due to the chytrid fungus and habitat loss, nearly one-third of all amphibians are extinct or threatened. The fungus was possibly spread by the introduction of non-native species, such as Xenopus laevis, which was widely exported for pregnancy tests in the 30s, but its origins remain little understood. It is likely that Climate Change is accelerating the spread of the fungus, which has already been largely responsible for many recent amphibian extinctions. In modern times, 38 amphibians have been confirmed extinct, according to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, and a further 159 species may have also vanished forever.
The main goal of the BBC film crew, other than simply documenting the special beauty of the Panamanian Golden Frog, was to capture on film an incredible behavioral sequence, where males approaching other males “wave” to them to signal their intent. This charming semaphore likely evolved due to the difficulty in making calls audible over the rushing of mountain streams.
Sadly, just after filming by the BBC crew wrapped, scientists determined that the chytrid fungus was quickly approaching the frogs' safe-hold, and removed the remaining frogs into captivity --- where they could be protected from poachers and treated for fungal infection.
Accurate population counts on the Panamanian Golden Frog are hard to find, but ESPP was assisted by Thomas J. Weaver of Project Golden Frog, who let us know that less than 100 frogs have been counted in the past two years --- and though some information states that Golden Frogs are extinct in the wild, recent evidence shows that small wild populations do remain. These populations' locations remain unknown.
Currently, active breeding programs are underway at several zoos and institutions, such as the Denver Zoo, the Smithsonian Natural Zoological Park and the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore. At this time, due to the continued prevalence of the chytrid fungus, the captive Golden Frogs are not viable for release into the wild, but it is the eventual hope of these breeding programs (and ESPP!) that these unique creatures may once again thrive in their natural environment. Your purchase of this print means a lot to Project Golden Frog, and will help set this species on the road to recovery!
