A new cryptic species of Anolis lizard from northwestern South America (Iguanidae, Dactyloinae)

Abstract

A new species of Anolis lizard from the Andean slopes of southwestern Colombia and northwestern Ecuador, from between 1187 and 2353 m in elevation, is described. The new species can be distinguished from other Anolis in squamation, cranial osteology, hemipenial morphology, and nuclear and mitochondrial DNA. The new species is sister to Anolisaequatorialis, and it is suggested that previous records of A.aequatorialis in Colombia correspond to the new species described herein.

A new species of terrestrial frog of the genusNoblellaBarbour, 1930 (Amphibia: Strabomantidae) from the Llanganates-Sangay Ecological Corridor, Tungurahua, Ecuador

“…It is surprising that we continue to discover species in these relatively well-studied areas, in which there has been field and laboratory work during the last decade (Reyes-Puig et al, 2010, 2019; Museo Ecuatoriano de Ciencias Naturales (MECN), 2013). Further demonstrating the importance of continuing research in the under-sampled strata of the forest, especially the forest floor and the canopy, where small vertebrates can be hidden (Guayasamin et al, 2006; Yánez-Muñoz et al, 2018). The search for strategies to reduce impacts of deforestation and climate change on a local level are key for specific actions to preserve the biodiversity of these forests.…”

Two extremely rare new species of fossorial salamanders of the genusOedipina(Plethodontidae) from northwestern Ecuador

“…Habitat change, fragmentation, and loss in the region is extensive and continues due to the expansion of the agricultural frontier and mining (Guayasamin et al, 2019;Roy et al, 2018;Sierra, 2013). Intensive herpetological surveys across the provinces of Esmeraldas, Imbabura, and Carchi have been conducted (MECN, 2013;Yánez-Muñoz et al, 2010;Yánez-Muñoz et al, 2018;Yánez-Muñoz et al, 2020) however, no Oedipina have been recorded. Given the fossorial habits of the animals, specific survey methods will likely be required to encounter them with any frequency; they may only appear to be rare.…”

“…For the taxonomic descriptions we used a combination of morphological characters (i.e., external and osteological, as well as tooth counts), genetic divergence and geographic distribution. Similar approaches have been useful to recognize and identify closely related new species of small vertebrates in the northern Andes (Yánez-Muñoz et al, 2018).…”

Figure 11: Main cranial traits differentiating species of Pattonimus gen. nov.: Pattonimus ecominga sp. nov. (top; MECN 5928, holotype) vs Pattonimus musseri sp. nov.

“…Conservation: The reserves Río Manduriacu and Drácula are threatened by the expansion of mining concessions across the northwest of Ecuador (Roy et al, 2018;Guayasamin et al, 2019). The western Andean slopes from Ecuador (Chocó Region) have shown important micro-regions of small vertebrate endemism, which are restricted to areas with good-quality forest and very little or no anthropogenic activity (Yánez-Muñoz et al, 2018;Guayasamin et al, 2019). Thus, activities that threaten these Chocó forests must be regulated and authorized within the framework of the Ecuadorian Constitution.…”