Panama
Mammals
found nowhere
else include the Coiba Island Howler Monkey (flmnh),
the Chiriqui Olingo (CalPhotos),
the Pygmy Three-toed Sloth (EDGE),
the Panama Slender Opossum (IUCN Red List),
the Coiban Agouti (flickr),
Rothschild’s Porcupine (flickr),
and Peter’s Spiny Pocket Mouse (Mammalian
Species pdf file).
Birds known solely from Panama include the Azuero Parakeet (WPT),
the Glow-throated Hummingbird (ARKive),
the Veraguan Mango (Xenornis),
the Brown-backed Dove (BirdLife
Int'l), the Stripe-cheeked Woodpecker (Birding
Panama), the Beautiful Treerunner (ARKive),
the Yellow-green Finch (ARKive),
the Pirre Bush Tanager (GlobalTwitcher),
and the Yellow-green Tyrannulet (Pierre
Bannon). The Escudo Hummingbird Amazilia handleyi (Xenornis)
is sometimes considered distinct from the Rufous-tailed Hummingbird Amazilia tzacatl (IBC)
and the Coiba Spinetail Cranioleuca
dissita (Xenornis)
has at times been considered distinct from the Rusty-backed Spinetail Cranioleuca vulpina
(IBC).
Among reptiles exclusive to Panama are the anoles Anolis pseudopachypus
(Mongabay)
and Anolis kunayalae
(Phyllomedusa
pdf file), a galliwasp Diploglossus
montisilvestris (p. 2 of AMNH
Digital Library pdf file), a skink Sphenomorphus rarus
(p.
3 of AMNH
Digital Library pdf file), the Panamanian Coral Snake Micrurus stewarti (flickr),
Dunn's Water Snake Hydromorphus
dunni (BHL),
Bocourt’s Snail-eater Dipsas
viguieri (p. 35 of AMNH
Digital Library pdf file), a ground snake Atractus dariensis (p. 17 of AMNH
Digital Library pdf file), a snail sucker Sibon perissostichon
(Senckenberg),
and an
earth snake Geophis
tectus (p. 8 of Senckenberg
pdf file).
Amphibians unique to Panama include the Panamanian Golden Frog Atelopus zeteki (Project
Golden Frog), the Limosa Stubfoot Toad Atelopus limosus (ARKive),
the Polkadot Poison Frog Dendrobates
(or Oophaga)
arboreus (ARKive),
Vicente’s Poison Frog Dendrobates
(or Oophaga)
vicentei (Herps
of Panama), the Bocas Poison Frog Dendrobates (or Ranitomeya) claudiae (DendroBase),
a treefrog Hyla
(or Scinax)
altae (fig.
3 at Internet
Archive),
Rabb’s Fringe-limbed Treefrog Ecnomiohyla rabborum
(ARKive),
the Rio Claro Robber Frog Eleutherodactylus
(or Craugastor)
emcelae
(ARKive),
Eleutherodactylus
(or Pristimantis)
museosus
(AmphibiaWeb),
Myers' Surinam Toad Pipa
myersi (EDGE),
the Maritime Worm Salamander Oedipina
maritima (Burica
Press), the Cerro Cituro Salamander Bolitoglossa taylori
(AMNH
Digital Library pdf file), and the Cocle Caecilian Caecilia volcani (AmphibiaWeb).
Freshwater fish restricted to Panama include the characins Brycon petrosus (FishBase)
and Gephyrocharax
atracaudatus (FishBase),
a
catfish Ancistrus
chagresi (PlanetCatfish),
Brachyrhaphis
hessfeldi (VDA),
a killifish Rivulus
brunneus
(FishBase),
Neoheterandria
tridentiger (FishBase),
a knifefish Gymnotus
panamensis (FLMNH),
and the cichlids Archocentrus (or Cryptoheros) panamensis (Cichlid
Room Companion) and Vieja
(or Cichlasoma)
tuyrensis (Cichlid
Room Companion). Endemic
marine fish include the Snaggle-toothed Snake-eel (STRI),
the Chame Anchovy (eol),
the Bifid Clingfish (STRI),
the Plain Goby (STRI),
and the Fake Roundray (STRI). Endemic genera include
the Slender Tube-blenny (STRI)
and the Goose-billed Croaker (STRI).
Insects found only in Panama include the butterflies Memphis kingi (Butterflies
of America) and Theope kingi (Butterflies
of America), an unusual bagworm moth Perisceptis carnivora
(Wildlife
Extra), a jewel scarab beetle Chrysina magnistriata (New
World Scarab Beetles), a weevil Cactophagus dragoni
(INBio),
a longhorned beetle Mallodon
vermiculatus (Smithsonian),
and a wasp Foxita
cambrai (EurekAlert).
Endemic arachnids include the jumping spiders Psecas euoplus (Salticidae
of the World) and Mabellina
prescotti (Salticidae
of the World) and the tarantulas Actinopus robustus (STRI)
and Psalmopoeus pulcher
(flickr).
Endemic marine invertebrates include a
coral Siderastrea glynni
(WNS
Stamps), a nudibranch Cuthona
behrensi (Sea
Slug Forum), a cone snail Conus cuna (Eddie
Hardy),
a mitre snail Mitra
leonardi
(Eddie
Hardy),
and a nutmeg snail Cancellaria
laurettae (Eddie
Hardy).
Among over 1200 endemic vascular plant species are many orchids
including Sobralia
callosa (IOPSE),
Oerstedella
pseudoschumanniana (IOPSE),
and Maxillaria
scalariformis (IOPSE).
Other endemic plants include a cycad Zamia
pseudoparasitica (Cycad
Pages), a palm Calyptrogyne costatifrons
(p. 1 of Field
Museum pdf file),
the Membrillo Gustavia
fosteri (Field
Museum), Inga spiralis (ARKive), Heliconia
magnifica (Field
Museum), Vismia
jefensis (Smithsonian),
Codonanthe
luteola (Gesneriad
Reference Web), a bromeliad Guzmania
macropoda (Smithsonian),
Coccoloba
manzinellensis (Tropicos),
Cavendishia
megabracteata (Field
Museum), Philodendron
annulatum (Int'l
Aroid Soc.), and Anthurium
pseudospectabile (Int'l
Aroid Soc.). Endemic genera include Horichia (Woodstream
Orchids), Desmotes
(Burica
Press), Pohlidium
(Tropicos), Sanblasia
(Smithsonian),
Anthopteropsis
(Tropicos),
Panamanthus
(Tropicos),
and Calderonella
(Tropicos).
Panama is part of the Mesoamerica (Biodiversity
Hotspots) and
Tumbes-Choco-Magdalena (Biodiversity
Hotspots) biodiversity hotspots and forms a portion of the
Western Caribbean coral reef hotspot (Reef
Guardian pdf file). Important
terrestrial ecoregions include the Talamancan
Montane Forests (EoE)
and the Eastern Panamanian Montane
Forests (EoE).
The Rio Tuira (FEOW)
is an important freshwater ecoregion.