Deforestation destroying Panamas amphibian wild life.
INCREASING DEFORESTATION in several regions of Panama is creating havoc with many of the country’s amphibian species as disappearing leaf cover leaves them unprotected from the sun.
This causes the proliferation of a fungus which kills the animals.
Biologist Abdiel Rodríguez unveiled this information at the first scientific climate change congress held at the regional headquarters of the University of Panama in Las Tablas.Rodriguez said that logging in the central provinces has diminished the number of amphibians. At the same time, high temperatures has proliferated the attack of the fungus batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, which attacks the skin of amphibians.
Samples from several rivers in Veraguas show the atelopus varius frog, which was common in previous studies, is almost non-existent. This indicates that other species could suffer the same fate.
The biologist also said that a study of La Tronoso, in the province of Los Santos, recorded a decline in the population of this species.
