The extinction of the species of planet Earth is a regrettable fact. In most cases, man and the effect of his activity on the environment are the main causes of such disappearance.
Panama is a country located in Central America. It is famous for its channel that connects two oceans and its hot tropical climate. However, although there are various animals in danger of extinction in Panama, in this list on our site we show you the most vulnerable and, therefore, the most affected by human action.
Below we show you the 12 most endangered animals in Panama:
1. Panama Golden Frog
Atelopus zeteki is a frog endemic to Panamanian territory that is considered extinct in the wild. It is native to tropical humid forests, where it prefers to live near streams.
Recently it has been discovered that it communicates with other varieties of amphibians through body language, such as gestures made with its front legs, as well as, it also makes guttural sounds with its throat.
It is considered extinct in the wild since 2007, but there are various programs dedicated to its conservation where they are responsible for reproducing the species in captivity. Its greatest threat is pollution and the destruction of forests.
two. Bush male or Central American tapir
The Tapirus bairdii goes by many names in Central America. It is called tapir, tapir, niguanchan,among others. This mammal inhabits different countries, which include Panama, Mexico and Ecuador.
The male of the bush is characterized by its short fur, long snout and the fact that the females gestate their young for 400 days before giving birth to them. It can inhabit both humid forests and dry areas, as long as it does so in areas near a river and vegetation.
It is estimated that in Panama there are only 1000 specimens and the population is constantly decreasing, especially as a result of indiscriminate hunting for consume its meat.
3. White-chinned Peccary
The Tayassu pecari is a mammal that inhabits almost all the countries of South and Central America. It belongs to the same family as wild boar and pigs, so its appearance is similar: stocky body, short legs and elongated snout.
The peccary, also called porco de monte, is of diurnal habits and can live both near the coast and in humid forests or semi-desert areas. The greatest danger to the peccary is its predators: the jaguar and the puma hunt it for food, while humans hunt it for its skin.
4. Sea cow
The Manatee (Trichechus manatus), also known as Sea cow, inhabits fresh and s alt waters, so in America it is found both in the Amazon River and in the waters of the Caribbean Sea. Despite its large size, the manatee is a peaceful aquatic mammal that only feeds on the plants it finds in seas and rivers.
As far as is known, man is the only culprit in the decline in the population of this species: hunting for its meat and fat pollutes the waters where it lives and often injures them with boats and boats. There are several nature reserves dedicated to the conservation of the manatee, among which the San San Pod Sak de Panamá, located in Bocas del Toro, stands out.
5. Panamanian night monkey
The night monkey (Aotus zonalis) is a primate that only lives in Panama and some areas of Colombia. It lives in trees, so it prefers populated forests, and it is a nocturnal animal. It is one of the most vulnerable animals in danger of extinction in Panama.
The night monkey weighs between 600 and 900 grams and is characterized by dark brown fur that turns yellow or orange around the abdomen. The number of specimens of this species is currently unknown, but its main threat is deforestation of forests and pollution.
6. Geoffroy's Spider Monkey
The Ateles geoffroyi or Geoffroy's spider monkey is a primatetypical of Central America and one of the largest in the continent. It is a gregarious animal that can live in groups of up to 5000 members.
Prefers to live in rain forests and mangroves, where it spends most of its time in the treetops foraging for food. It feeds on fruits, leaves, honey and some insects. The deforestation of the jungles it inhabits has this species on the verge of extinction, but also the hunting of human beings.
7. River Wolf
The river wolf or neotropical otter (Lontra longicaudis) inhabits Central and South America. It belongs to the mustelid family and is characterized by thick, dark chocolate-colored fur. It inhabits forests, savannahs and swamps, but it is essential that it always has an abundant source of water nearby, such as rivers and streams, since it spends most of its life in them. It feeds on fish and other animals that it can find in the waters.
The main threats to the otter are pollution and hunting for its fur.
8. Loggerhead Turtle
The loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta) inhabits not only the waters surrounding Panama, but also the Mediterranean Sea and the oceans Indian, Atlantic and Pacific. The loggerhead sea turtle spends most of its life in the seas and oceans, it approaches the beaches and coasts only when it is time for spawning, for which lays eggs under the sand.
Its extensive distribution plays against the species when it comes to preventing its disappearance, since it depends on the interest of many governments. The main factors that threaten it are fishing nets and pollution of the oceans with plastic, as many times they die trapped in different articles or as a result of objects they have ingested.
9. Harpy eagle
The harpy eagle (Harpia harpyja) is considered the largest on the continent and is distributed between Central and South America. It is a bird of prey that reaches 2 meters in height and almost 10 kilos. It prefers humid forests to live in and feeds on other animals, such as armadillos, peccaries, sloths and birds.
The harpy eagle is the national bird of Panama and is a species protected by different institutions in the country. Their main threat is the destruction of their habitat.
10. Central American Cougar
The Central American puma concolor (Puma concolor costaricensis) is a subspecies that inhabits Panama and Costa Rica. It prefers to live in forests, whether wet or dry. It is a nocturnal species that feeds on smaller animals.
Like many other endangered animals in Panama, the Central American puma is affected by the destruction of its habitat, which causes an approach to human populations in search of food. Hunting also affects the survival of this subspecies.
eleven. Collared Peccary
The Collared peccary (Pecari tajacu) is distributed in the American continent from north to south. His fur is almost all black, except for a white area around his neck, which gives him his name. Its distribution is wide, since it inhabits both desert and savannah areas as well as tropical areas, where they feed on roots, fruits, leaves and invertebrates. The main enemies of the peccary are deforestation, pollution and hunting
12. Painted Rabbit
We close the list of animals in danger of extinction in Panama with the painted rabbit, also called lapa and common paca (Cuniculus paca) is a rodent that inhabits Central America and part of South America. It is a nocturnal animal and a good swimmer, as well as a herbivore. During the day it prefers to rest in its burrow. Its main threat is hunting for meat consumption, which is why it is regulated in Panama.
