Tracy KarplusViews:
“I spotted this gravid Green Climbing Toad, or Evergreen Toad (Incilius coniferus), on a tree branch about ten feet above the terminus of a misty cloud forest trail near El Valle de Antón, an idyllic mountain town in the Coclé province of Panama and stunningly situated within the crater of an extinct volcano.
This evening of herping with my partner, Terra Haines, was the last of an abbreviated pre-holiday December excursion to Panama in 2024, and we were joined that night by local guide Mario and his assistant. While the hike yielded target observations of a seasonally appropriate neonate “Christmas phase” Central American Eyelash Viper (Bothriechis nigroadspersus) as well as the Hidden Snail-eating Snake (Dipsas aparatiritos), described recently in 2023, this individual toad constituted an unexpected and exciting conclusion to both the evening and the trip overall. While our “lifers” occurred earlier in the night when we spotted a few smaller males of the species, their yellowish-olive drab coloration and absence of intense patterning prompted only a few quick telephone vouchers. This individual female, however, certainly warranted more photographic attention, and despite the late hour and cool, drizzling conditions, the camera was once again removed from the backpack.
As American herpers, we so often make our toad observations as naturalist shoe-gazers, rarely anticipating finding them by looking up in the trees. Yet within its range of Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Nicaragua, and Panama, the Evergreen Toad is an excellent and frequent climber, though far more prevalent in the wet lowlands than the montane cloud forests. It was a privilege to observe and photograph this species in its natural habitat, and the observation has further revitalized my interest and appreciation for our local members of Bufonidae.” – Phillip Hong-Barco
Thank you for sharing your photo with us!
Phillip Hong-Barco is an attorney residing in the City of Pittsburgh, but frequently travels domestically and internationally photographing and studying reptiles, amphibians, arthropods, and any other captivating wonders of nature. He is the SW Regional Coordinator for The Pennsylvania Amphibian and Reptile Survey (PARS), and his photos can be found on Instagram @phbeeps.
