''Colostethus panamansis'', also known as the Panama rocket frog or (ambiguously) common rocket frog, is a species of

poison dart frog Poison dart frog (also known as dart-poison frog, poison frog or formerly known as poison arrow frog) is the common name of a group of frogs in the family Dendrobatidae which are native to tropical Central and South America. These species are ...

. It is found in northwestern

Colombia Colombia (, ; ), officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country in South America with insular regions in North America—near Nicaragua's Caribbean coast—as well as in the Pacific Ocean. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Car ...

and Panama. It is one of the best studied poison dart frogs; however, until 2004 ''Colostethus panamansis'' was considered a synonym of ''

Colostethus inguinalis ''Colostethus inguinalis'' is a species of frog in the family Dendrobatidae. It is endemic to northwestern and northcentral Colombia. Its vernacular name is common rocket frog, although this name can also refer to '' Colostethus panamansis'' that ...

'', and consequently the older literature uses that name.

Distribution and habitat

Panama Poison Dart Frog Colostethus panamensis with tadpoles

''Colostethus panamansis'' is found in several parts of Panama and in Parque Nacional Natural Los Katios in Colombia. It is found living near streams in forested lowland and hilly country, usually at elevations below .

Biology

Adult males measure in snout–vent length and adult females . The female lays her eggs in clutches among leaf litter. When they hatch, she carries them around on her back for up to nine days when she immerses herself in a fast flowing stream and they become detached and continue their development in the water.

Research

The pathogenic fungus '' Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis'' causes the emerging infectious disease chytridiomycosis which is the cause of the decline in many species of tropical amphibian. ''Colostethus panamansis'' was used to demonstrate that the fungus was indeed the pathogen responsible for the disease. Healthy rocket frogs from

El Copé El Copé is a Corregimientos of Panama, ''corregimiento'' (subdistrict) in Olá District, Coclé Province, Panama. It has a land area of and had a population of 1,425 as of 2010, giving it a population density of . Its population as of 1990 was 1 ...

in Panama were collected and shown to be free of ''B. dendrobatidis''. They were then exposed to an isolate of the fungus. Some of these died and from these ''B. dendrobatidis'' was reisolated and was demonstrated to be identical to the original infective agent thus fulfilling Koch's postulates.

Conservation status

''Colostethus panamansis'' is listed as being of " Least Concern" in the

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, also known as the IUCN Red List or Red Data Book, founded in 1964, is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of biologi ...

. This is because it has a wide range in which it is common, and though the population may be declining, this is not at a rate to allow it to qualify for a higher category. The chief threats it faces are deforestation, logging and farming activities including pollution of streams with

pesticide Pesticides are substances that are meant to control pests. This includes herbicide, insecticide, nematicide, molluscicide, piscicide, avicide, rodenticide, bactericide, insect repellent, animal repellent, microbicide, fungicide, and lampri ...

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q2984454 panamansis Amphibians of Colombia Amphibians of Panama Taxa named by Emmett Reid Dunn Amphibians described in 1933 Taxonomy articles created by Polbot