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.

We describe a new species of terrestrial frog of the genus Noblella from the eastern versants of the Ecuadorian Andes in the upper Pastaza watershed. Noblella naturetrekii sp. n. differs from its Ecuadorian congeners by the presence of a differentiated tympanic membrane and a weakly defined tympanic annulus, and eyelids with rounded tubercles. In addition, the new species is characterized by its blackish–dark brown ventral coloration scattered with little white dots and the absence of papillae at the tip of the fingers and toes. We provide a detailed description of the call and osteology of the new species. Finally, we present the most complete phylogeny of the genus, which confirms that Noblella is a non-monophyletic group.

A new species of frog of the genus Pristimantis is described from the cloud forests of the upper Pastaza basin, on the eastern versant of the central Andes of Ecuador. Pristimantis tungurahua sp. nov. is characterized by lacking cranial crests and vocal sacs, showing a visible tympanic membrane and annulus, conical tubercles on the upper eyelid and heel, and by having red coloration on the groin, underarm, and ventral surfaces in females (in males, red is restricted to the underarms and groins). Keywords. Pristimantis tungurahua, Andes. ResumenUna nueva especie de rana del género Pristimantis es descrita de los bosques nublados de la cuenca alta del río Pastaza, en la vertiente oriental de los Andes centrales de Ecuador. Pristimantis tungurahua sp. nov. se caracteriza por la ausencia de crestas craneales y sacos vocales, presencia de tímpano y anillo timpánico, tubérculos cónicos en el párpado y talón, y en particular porque las hembras presentan una coloración rojiza muy llamativa en las ingles, axilas y superficies ventrales (en machos el color rojizo se restringe a ingles y axilas).Palabras Clave. Pristimantis tungurahua, Andes. IntroducciónLas ranas del género Pristimantis constituyen el grupo de anfibios con la mayor cantidad de especies conocidas [1]. En el Ecuador hasta el momento se han reportado 139 especies de Pristimantis [2]. El desarrollo directo de los huevos de Pristimantis en microhábitats terrestres constituye una adaptación evolutiva que impulsó su impresionante especiación, influenciada por las transformaciones climáticas y geográficas ocurridas durante los últimos millones de años en los Andes, llegando a ocupar casi todo tipo de hábitats desde los pisos tropicales hasta los páramos [3,4]. La mayoría de especies de Pristimantis se caracterizan por tener una distribución restringida y a medida que se exploran zonas poco conocidas es común descubrir taxones aún sin describir.El conocimiento de la herpetofauna de los Andes centrales del Ecuador es muy pobre y existen escasas referencias en literatura, la mayoría publicada hace tres dé-cadas o más [5,6,7]. Sin embargo durante los últimos cinco años se han desarrollado investigaciones que han levantado una importante base de datos herpetológicos en una región de alta importancia para la conservación como es la cuenca alta del río Pastaza, dónde se ubica el llamado corredor ecológico Llanganates-Sangay. En este artículo describimos una nueva especie de rana Pristimantis descubierta recientemente en dichas investigaciones. MetodologíaPara la descripción, medidas morfológicas y terminología se siguieron las sugerencias metodológicas realiza-