Page 309 - The Rough Guide to Panama (Travel Guide)

Wildlife CONTEXTS 307
isthmus, the owl or night monkeys (mono de noche), with their saucer-like eyes, are
restricted to the Caribbean lowlands of Bocas, while over on the Pacific side, the delicate
squirrel monkey (mono ardilla) is occasionally sighted in the Burica Peninsula in
southwestern Chiriquí.

Reptiles
Mention the fact that you intend to hike in the jungle, and someone is bound to alert
you to the dangers of snakes, though a relatively small percentage are venomous and
snakebites are rare – most serpents are as wary of humans as humans are of them. The
most feared, accounting for almost all fatal snakebites in Panama, is the fer-de-lance pit
viper, which inhabits a variety of lowland habitats. Commonly dubbed “equis” (“X”) for
the markings on its well-camouflaged brown, cream and black skin, it often exceeds 2m
in length. The female gives birth to fifty to eighty live young, which incredibly are
already 30cm, not to mention venomous, when born. Initially arboreal, feeding on frogs
and lizards, they become terrestrial with age. The world’s largest pit viper, the dangerous
bushmaster, can reach 3m, but fortunately is only encountered in remote forests and,
like most pit vipers, is nocturnal. In contrast, Panama’s various species of coral snake,
both venomous and benign, all possess striking black, red and yellow-banded markings;
since it’s difficult to differentiate among them, it’s best to assume danger. Positively
mellow in comparison – though packing a powerful bite if provoked – the giant boa
constrictor is Panama’s only endangered snake, hunted for its prized skin.
Similarly threatened is the green iguana, which ranges from lime-green to dusty
brown in colour and is pursued for its eggs and tasty meat, earning it the nickname
“gallina de palo”. Despite its dragon-like appearance, it is a docile forest-living
herbivore that likes to be near water; the large flaps of skin under its chin (dewflaps)
are used to regulate body temperature and for courtship and territorial displays. The
tetchier, charcoal-grey spiny-tailed or black iguana is most commonly found on the
Azuero Peninsula. The world’s fastest lizard, it escapes predators by hitting speeds of up
to 35km/h; the miniature version, a 30cm basilisk, takes flight across water on its hind
legs and partially webbed feet, earning it the nickname “Jesus Christ” lizard.
In Panama’s mangrove-filled estuaries and mud-lined waterways, including around
Lago Gatún and Lago Bayano, crocs and caimans lurk. The endangered, aggressive
American crocodile has actually increased its numbers here, as has the smaller, more
docile spectacled caiman.
Amphibians
Of all Panama’s amphibians, frogs are the most compelling. The country’s emblematic
and revered golden frog (see box, p.136) is, sadly, under grave threat due in part to the
chytrid fungus, which has been decimating amphibians worldwide; this has prompted an
Amphibian Ark rescue mission (Wamphibianrescue.org) to seek out healthy specimens to
breed in captivity (see p.136). The brilliantly coloured miniature poison dart frogs, with
markings as varied as wallpaper, are relatively easy to see, especially in Bocas del Toro
(see box, p.233), as they hop around the leaf litter under trees by day. But the rainforests
harbour other equally extraordinary specimens, less visible since they’re primarily
nocturnal: the tiny lime-green glass frog, whose inexplicably transparent belly affords you
the dubious pleasure of observing its viscera and digestive processes; the flying frog with
giant webbed feet that help parachute it through the air; and the milk frog – so named
after the toxic mucous it secretes when threatened – which possesses two giant vocal sacs
either side of the head that also act as buoyancy aids in water.
Insects and arachnids
Although insects don’t generally set the pulse racing, butterflies are the exception.
With sixteen thousand species, Panama hosts approximately ten percent of the world’s
Lepidoptera, from the enormous owl butterfly, so-called after the large “eyes” on its

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