Ecuador is one of the most biodiverse countries in the world, but faces severe pressures and threats to its natural ecosystems. Numerous species have declined and require to be objectively evaluated and quantified, as a step towards the development of conservation strategies. Herein, we present an updated National Red List Assessment for amphibian species of Ecuador, with one of the most detailed and complete coverages for any Ecuadorian taxonomic group to date. Based on standardized methodologies that integrate taxonomic work, spatial analyses, and ecological niche modeling, we assessed the extinction risk and identified the main threats for all Ecuadorian native amphibians (635 species), using the IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria. Our evaluation reveals that 57% (363 species) are categorized as Threatened, 12% (78 species) as Near Threatened, 4% (26 species) as Data Deficient, and 27% (168 species) as Least Concern. Our assessment almost doubles the number of threatened species in comparison with previous evaluations. In addition to habitat loss, the expansion of the agricultural/cattle raising frontier and other anthropogenic threats (roads, human settlements, and mining/oil activities) amplify the incidence of other pressures as relevant predictors of ecological integrity. Potential synergic effects with climate change and emergent diseases (apparently responsible for the sudden declines), had particular importance amongst the threats sustained by Ecuadorian amphibians. Most threatened species are distributed in montane forests and paramo habitats of the Andes, with nearly 10% of them occurring outside the National System of Protected Areas of the Ecuadorian government. Based on our results, we recommend the following actions: (i) An increase of the National System of Protected Areas to include threatened species. (ii) Supporting the ex/in-situ conservation programs to protect species considered like Critically Endangered and Endangered. (iii) Focalizing research efforts towards the description of new species, as well as species currently categorized as Data Deficient (DD) that may turn out to be threatened. The implementation of the described actions is challenging, but urgent, given the current conservation crisis faced by amphibians.

A new species ofAnolislizard 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 otherAnolisin squamation, cranial osteology, hemipenial morphology, and nuclear and mitochondrial DNA. The new species is sister toAnolisaequatorialis, and it is suggested that previous records ofA.aequatorialisin Colombia correspond to the new species described herein.

We present the results of herpetological surveys in two adjacent mountains where the EcoMinga Foundation protects the cloud forest in the Upper Rio Pastaza watershed, in the Llanganates Sangay Ecological Corridor in Ecuador. A rapid assessment of the amphibian communities of the study sites reveals a diverse and heterogeneous composition, dominated by terrestrial frogs from the genusPristimantis. We also identify a cryptic diversity with a significant number of candidate new species. We describe two new species of terrestrial frogs of the genusPristimantis.Pristimantis maryanneaesp. nov.is characterised by not having tympanum externally visible and having 2–3 subconical tubercles in the upper eyelid; andPristimantis burtoniorumsp. nov.is characterised by the presence of red colouration in hidden surfaces of the hind-limbs, tubercles on the upper eyelid, interorbital tubercle and a row of rounded tubercles along the snout to the tip and a pale red venter with dark brown mottled pattern. Our samples from the two Reserves do not share species between them, so the proportion of shared species seems to be relatively low. In addition, we highlight the importance of updating the knowledge of amphibians that are restricted to this important conservation region and comment about the threats and composition of the amphibian communities on the eastern slopes of the Upper Rio Pastaza watershed.

The rainfrogs of the genusPristimantisare one of the most diverse groups of vertebrates, with outstanding reproductive modes and strategies driving their success in colonizing new habitats. The rate ofPristimantisspecies discovered annually has increased continuously during the last 50 years, establishing the remarkable diversity found in this genus. In this paper the specifics of publications describing new species in the group are examined, including authorship, author gender, year, language, journal, scientific collections, and other details. Detailed information on the descriptions of 591 species ofPristimantispublished to date (June 2022) were analyzed and extracted. John D. Lynch and William E. Duellman are the most prolific authors, yet Latin American researchers have scaled up and continued the description processes since the 1990s. The most common language used for descriptions is English, followed by Spanish. The great majority of authors have described only one species. The largest proportion of authors who have participated in the descriptions is of Ecuadorian nationality. Ecuador is the country with the highest description rate per year (3.9% growth rate). Only 20% of the contributions have included women and only 2% have featured women as principal authors. 36.8% of the species described are in the Not Evaluated or Data Deficient categories under the IUCN global red list. The importance of enhancing the descriptions in Spanish is emphasized and the inclusion based on equal access to opportunities for female researchers inPristimantistaxonomy is encouraged. In general, if the current trends inPristimantisdescriptions continue, in ten years, a total of 770 or more species described could be expected.

Describimos 3 nuevas especies de cutines Pristimantis del subgénero Hypodictyon de la bioregión del Chocó de Colombia y Ecuador. Además, presentamos una filogenia actualizada del subgénero Hypodictyon en la que reportamos por primera vez la posición filogenética de P. calcaratus, P. colomai, P. illotus, P. kuri, P. rosadoi, P. tenebrionis y P. variabilis. Se revisó el contenido de Hypodictyon y sus 2 grupos de especies. Pristimantis afrox sp. nov. se caracteriza por la presencia de un pliegue escapular en forma de ×; pliegue interocular y tubérculo longitudinal en la región interorbital; dedos del pie con pronunciados rebordes cutáneos basales en los dedos II-V; distintiva coloración inguinal y superficies ocultas de los muslos rojas. Pristimantis chocoensis sp. nov. posee dedo I de la mano igual o ligeramente más corto que el II; vientre y garganta homogéneamente crema a ligeramente manchados de café, pliegue interorbital, rebordes cutáneos laterales presentes, pliegue metatarsal interno y manchas negras hacia la inserción posterior del brazo. Pristimantis cisnerosi sp. nov. presenta distintivos huesos nasales fuertemente convexos y acampanados; narinas protuberantes proyectadas anteriormente; coloración dorsal café oscura y vientre café escarlata; tubérculos cónicos sobre el párpado y tímpano reducido.