From Tadpoles to Toadlets: Meet Our Panamanian Golden Frog ... - Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute

Where and how do they breed?

In the wild, female Panamanian golden frogs live in the forest, and males live around these beautiful fast-flowing streams and waterfalls. The rainy season triggers females to come down to the stream, where they come into contact with the males.

We mimic this at the Zoo by keeping them in separate enclosures until the conditions are just right for breeding. At that time, we'll pair a male and female together in a larger enclosure, complete with a stream and misters to simulate rain.

In the wild, the sound of the rushing water is incredibly loud. If someone was standing right next to you, you would have to yell for them to be able to hear you! Unlike most frogs and toads, Panamanian golden frogs don't have a loud call. Their vocalization is more of a low whistle. But they've got this bold, bright pattern that makes them somewhat easy to spot. So, both males and females will wave their hand to try to attract each other's attention—and hopefully get a receptive wave back.

When choosing where to lay their eggs, females pick a spot not in the fast-moving flow, but in a calm eddy or pool. Preferably, it will be at least four-to-eight inches deep. Then, she'll find a dark crevice—either behind or underneath a rock—and lay hundreds of eggs in one long string. As she lays each egg, the male fertilizes it. He's got to be lined up perfectly to maximize his chances of reproducing.

After they've bred, the male lets go of the female, and they go their separate ways. Here, we just put our male and female back in their "home" enclosures. After about a week, we saw the color of the eggs change from light to dark. Those were the tadpoles forming inside!   

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