Conservational Status: Extinct
Scientific Name: Bufo periglenes
Size: <5cm in length
Range: The Monteverde Rainforests in Costa Rica at elevations only between 1500-1620m above sea level.
Habitat: Tropical and Subtropical Montane forests
Ecology: The Golden Toad was an endemic species to Monteverde Rainforests. This rainforest is known as a cloud forest because it obtains most of its moisture from the clouds and not precipitation. The toads burrow underground for most of the year except during the breading season. The Golden Toad breeding season would begin at the beginning of the wet season; the toads would gather in large numbers at temporary pools in the forest.
Evolution: The Golden toad was discovered in 1966 and became extinct by 1989. Due to the toads habitat requirements they were geographically isolated. In 1988, Monteverde rainforest was warmer than normal and the temporary pools dried up before the tadpoles could mature, that led to a significant reduction in adult toad population. Because the global temperature has continued to rise the pools that the toads had relied on for reproduction are no longer there. This has significantly contributed to a decline in population.
