Post by LittleBudgie2005 on Oct 8, 2007 14:06:59 GMT 7
The Golden Toad... The Missing Gold From Cloud Forest!
A bright-orange, shiny, small toad that once inhabited a small region of high-altitude cloud-covered tropical forests, the Monteverde Cloud Forest Preserve. Believed to have lived underground, as they were only seen for breeding season one a year for one week.
A full grown adult male measured under 5 centimeters long, with the female toad being slightly larger than the male. The male's colour was described as "Day-Glo golden orange" when looked upon and their skin, so shiny and bright unlike other toads. The female's colour was a dark olive to almost black with scarlet spots encircled by yellow.
Not a single Golden Toad since 1989 has been seen in any part of the world, but a single report from the 1970s has yet to be comfirmed. Climate change brought on by global warming and the decline in amphibian populations numbers is believe to be the reason for the extinction of this species. Tim Flannery describes the extinction of the Golden Toad as Costa Rica's first extinction due to global warming but researchers still hope that the Golden Toad continue to live in underground burrows somewhere in the tropical forests.
Other Names:- Monteverde Golden Toad, Monte Verde Toad, Alajuela Toad and Orange Toad.
Scientific Name:- Bufo periglenes
Scientific Name:- Bufo periglenes
References:-[/i]
Online Wikipedia:- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_Toad
