Panama

SUMMARY: On a trip in February 2022 I saw +38 mammal species; the highlights being Ocelot and Panama Mouse Opossum at Gamboa; and Cacomistle and Alston’s Woolly Mouse Opossum at Boquete.

Paul Carter. Contact: paulcarter@pacapix.com
Posted 26 Mar 2022. Last Revised 9 Feb 2025.

Contents
a)  Trip Data and Site Reports
b)  Mammal List
c)  Reptile List
d)  Logistics
e)  References
f)  Images

A. Trip Data and Site Reports

My only trip to Panama was over 6-20 February 2022, with Chi Phan, and focused on the following three areas:
1) Gamboa: 36 mammals (4n at Summit Rainforest and Golf Resort; 2n at Gamboa Rainforest Lodge).
2) El Valle de Anton (3n at El Valle de Anton La Chachalaca).
3) Boquete (6 mammals; 5n at Los Naranjos cottage).

B. Mammal List

This list was last updated on 26 March 2022. Bat records below marked as “EMT” were made using an Echo Meter Touch 2 Pro (link), but only where there were visuals on the bat and repeated recordings that made sense (habitat, range etc); the EMT is not up to date on taxonomic changes so this was also taken into account on IDs.

  1. Alston’s Woolly Mouse Opossum (Marmosa alstoni). Seen at Boquete (first photographic record for Panama? Detailed post HERE and Zenodo article HERE).
  2. Panama Mouse Opossum (Marmosa isthmica / Marmosa robinsoni isthmica). Seen at Gamboa.
  3. Common Opossum (Didelphis marsupialis). Seen at Gamboa area and Boquete.
  4. Nine-banded Armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus). Seen at Gamboa area.
  5. Northern Tamandua (Tamandua mexicana). Seen at Gamboa area.
  6. Hoffmann’s Two-toed Sloth (Choloepus hoffmanni). Seen at Gamboa area.
  7. Brown-throated Three-toed Sloth (Bradypus variegatus). Seen at Gamboa area.
  8. Lesser White-lined Bat (Saccopteryx leptura) – EMT. Seen at Gamboa area.
  9. Greater White-lined Bat (Saccopteryx bilineata) – EMT. Seen at Gamboa area.
  10. Common Black Myotis (Myotis nigricans) – EMT. Seen at Anton Valley.
  11. Northern Hairy-legged Myotis (Myotis pilosatibialis) – EMT. Seen at Anton Valley.
  12. Common Big-eared Bat (Micronycteris microtis). Seen at Gamboa area and Anton Valley.
  13. Merriam’s Long-tongued Bat (Glossophaga mutica). Seen at Gamboa area.
  14. Seba’s Short-tailed Bat (Carollia perspicillata). Seen at Gamboa area.
  15. Common Tent-making Bat (Uroderma bilobatum). Seen at Gamboa.
  16. Great Stripe-faced Bat (Vampyrodes major). Seen at Gamboa.
  17. Greater Broad-nosed Bat (Platyrrhinus vittatus). Seen at Boquete.
  18. Jamaican Fruit-eating Bat (Artibeus jamaicensis). Seen at Gamboa area.
  19. Mesoamerican Mustached Bat (Pteronotus mesoamericanus). Seen at Gamboa.
  20. Ocelot (Leopardus pardalis). Seen at Gamboa area.
  21. Margay (Leopardus wiedii). Seen at Gamboa area.
  22. Cacomistle (Bassariscus sumichrasti). Seen at Boquete.
  23. White-nosed Coati (Nasua narica). Seen at Gamboa area and Anton Valley.
  24. Western Lowland Olingo (Bassaricyon medius). Seen at Gamboa area.
  25. Kinkajou (Potos flavus). Seen at Gamboa area.
  26. Collared Peccary (Dicotyles tajacu). Seen at Gamboa area.
  27. Gabb’s Cottontail (Sylvilagus gabbi / Sylvilagus brasiliensis gabbi). Seen at Gamboa.
  28. Red-tailed Squirrel (Syntheosciurus granatensis / Sciurus granatensis). Seen at Anton Valley.
  29. Variegated Squirrel (Echinosciurus variegatoides / Sciurus variegatoides). Seen at Gamboa.
  30. Rothschild’s Porcupine (Coendou rothschildi); now split from Coendou quichua. Seen in the Gamboa area (Plantation Road and Laguna Trail).
  31. Lesser Capybara (Hydrochoerus isthmius). Seen at Gamboa area.
  32. Central American Agouti (Dasyprocta punctata). Seen at Gamboa area and Boquete.
  33. Spotted Paca (Cuniculus paca). Seen at Gamboa.
  34. Chiriquian Harvest Mouse (Reithrodontomys garichensis). Seen at Boquete.
  35. Talamancan Deer Mouse (Peromyscus nudipes). Seen at Boquete.
  36. Tomes’s Spiny Rat (Proechimys semispinosus). Seen at Gamboa area (Plantation Road, Laguna Trail and Tram station).
  37. Mantled Howler Monkey (Alouatta palliata). Seen at Gamboa area.
  38. Geoffroy’s Tamarin (Saguinus geoffroyi). Seen at Gamboa area.

C. Reptile List

Data not entered.

D. Panama Logistics (2022)

  • Rental Car: we used Avis (in Tocumen airport), renting a Hyundai Tucson 2WD; no issues. Avis charged $22 for a toll-booth drive-through system but we did not drive through many booths. See this post for driving in Panama.
  • Navigation: we used the Waze app; it shows the speed limits (mostly correctly) and reported traffic police (many on the highway). The AllTrails app was also useful for hiking trails
  • Phone cards: at the phone card booth opposite the Avis rental counter in Tocumen airport we bought Digicel sim cards and a one-week package with unlimited data and texts for about $25. We later bought 7-day plans for about $6 using Recharge.com (which seemed easier than using Digicell itself for extending a plan).
  • Covid protocols (2022): We were vaccinated and no covid test was needed before arrival, but we had to fill in an online health form with submission of certificate/card showing full covid vaccination, and your passport ID page. See COVID-19 Guidelines (tourismpanama.com). ALL travelers were required to present their completed Electronic Health Affidavit (in physical or digital form) to their airline or carrier BEFORE boarding to Panama. COPA state that fully vaccinated passengers must present a COVID-19 vaccination certificate. Antigen tests were needed for return to the US. We flew at 7 PM and got the tests at 2 PM with a 30-minute wait for our results. The test center was at the rental-car section in Tocumen Airport.

E. References

Data not yet entered.

F. Images

Besides the image/s below please refer to site/regional posts for all other images.

Alston’s Woolly Mouse Opossum:

Alston’s Woolly Mouse Opossum (Marmosa alstoni) in Boquete, Panama (2022 Feb 17 – 9 PM)