The Golden Toad is Extinct
Mac Collins's Extinct Animal Poster
About the Toads
Golden Toads resemble extreme sexual dimorphism as shown in the pictures bellow. The males have a brilliant golden appearance while the females are dark with red blotches and yellow lining. Competition for males to get a mate were great as the males out numbered the females 8:1 at a point.
Golden Toad Sexual Competition
Female Golden Toad
Why is the Golden Toad Extinct?
They are assumed to be extinct since they havn't been seen since 1989. The cause to their extinction is unknown but there are several assumptions, climate change being the best reason. Subtle human causes is what is assumed to cause the extinction of the Golden Toad. Pollutants building up, decreasing ozone levels, and weather patterns taking their toll on the environment made the golden toads unable to adapt. As a result to this environmental change they sadly died instead of evolving in adaptation to the change.
All information from this MLA citation(quick link bellow)
Gray, Andrew. "Golden toad (Incilius periglenes)." Wildscreen Arkive. N.p., n.d.
Web. 3 June 2015. <http://www.arkive.org/golden-toad/incilius-periglenes/
image-G125355.html>.
Web. 3 June 2015. <http://www.arkive.org/golden-toad/incilius-periglenes/
image-G125355.html>.