The variable harlequin frog is a critically endangered species being taken care of by the Vivarium team at Manchester Museum.

The harlequin frogs in the Vivarium form part of Manchester Museum’s important breeding programme of reptiles and amphibians. During 2019 Manchester Museum acquired the only captive specimens of the Variable Harlequin Frog outside Panama. This project was first launched by the Ambassador of Panama at Manchester Museum in 2019, and our Sponsor a Frog scheme is supporting conservation work and engagement in Santa Fe.

The project to conserve this species involves supporting an indigenous rainforest community within the remote Santa Fe National Park in Panama. The Harlequin Frog project trains local people as researchers to fully involve them in scientific data collection and supports communities and schoolchildren to care for their environment.