Friday 9 March 2012

Golden Toads

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The golden toad (Bufo periglenes) was a small, shiny toad that was once abundant in a small region of high-altitude cloud-covered tropical forests above the city of Monteverde in Costa Rica. They were first described in 1966 by the herpetologist Jay Savage.

Since May 15, 1989, not a single Bufo periglenes is reported to have been seen anywhere in the world, and it is classified by the IUCN as an extinct species. Its sudden extinction might have been caused by chytrid fungus and extensive habitat loss.

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