Panama's National Symbol, The Golden Frog, Facing Extinction - Reuters

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PANAMA CITY, Feb 6 (Reuters) - A deadly fungus is creeping through Panama, killing hundreds of thousands of amphibians and putting the country's national symbol, the golden frog, at risk of extinction, scientists say.

"I would say that the golden frog was already in critical danger, however, the advance of the fungus outbreak makes matters worse to a point that this species is likely to become extinct," said Roberto Ibanez, an amphibian expert at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama.

The rare golden frog is a much-loved national emblem that graces Panama's lottery tickets and tourist brochures. Schoolchildren are taught the story of the frogs, which, according to pre-Columbian folklore, turn to gold upon death. Panamanians believe that people who see the frog alive will be blessed with good luck.

The mysterious mold threatening the frog is spreading quickly in Panama, according to a report published by Southern Illinois University on Monday. It grows over the animals' skin, sealing it up and effectively choking them to death. "Many frogs use their skin as we use our lungs. If it gets blocked up, they die," said zoologist Karen Lips at Southern Illinois. A separate study published last month in the science journal Nature cited global warming as a probable cause for the proliferation of the fungus. The frog is regarded by conservationists as being critically endangered with an 80 percent decline in its population predicted over the next 10 years.

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