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

Abstract

We describe two new species of salamanders of the genus Oedipina, subgenus Oedopinola, from two localities on the northwestern foothills of Ecuador, at elevations between 921 and 1,067 m. These are the southernmost members of the genus. We examined different museum collections and we found just three specimens of Oedipina from Ecuador, obtained throughout the history of herpetological collections in the country. We identify two of the three specimens as new species, but refrain from assigning a specific identity to the third, pending further study. Oedipina villamizariorum sp. n. is a medium-sized member of the genus, with a narrow, relatively pointed head and blunt snout; dorsolaterally oriented eyes, moderate in size; and digits that are moderately long and having pointed tips. Oedipina ecuatoriana sp. n., somewhat larger, has a narrow head and broadly rounded snout; this new species differs from all known Oedipina by the distinctive presence of paired prefrontal bones and a reduced phalangeal formula: 0-0-1-0; 0-1-2-1-1. We provide detailed descriptions of the osteology of both new species. Finally, we present a phylogenetic hypothesis for the genus, including one of the two new species, based on partial sequences of mitochondrial DNA.

A new and very spiny lizard (Gymnophthalmidae:Echinosaura) from the Andes in northwestern Ecuador

“…The new species described in this paper occurs in a particular area of high endemism and biological diversification in extreme northwestern Ecuador. Therefore, we expect its occurrence in the neighboring country of Colombia, a distribution pattern observed in other species of small vertebrates ( Arteaga et al, 2016 ; Yánez-Muñoz et al, 2020 ; Brito et al, 2020 ; Reyes-Puig et al, 2020 ).…”

“…In extreme northwestern Ecuador, specifically in Carchi province near the national border with Colombia, important remnants of native vegetation are still preserved due to inaccessibility and local conservation initiatives. During the last six years, we have focused on the study and conservation of this important biodiversity area, discovering several new species and many candidate species of small vertebrates that are still awaiting formal description ( Yánez-Muñoz et al, 2018 , 2020 ; Reyes-Puig et al, 2020 ; Brito et al, 2020 ). Here, we describe a new species of Echinosaura recognized and delimited by a molecular phylogenetic analysis along with several types of morphological evidence, including cranial osteology.…”

A new Andean treefrog (Amphibia: Hyloscirtus bogotensis group) from Ecuador: an example of community involvement for conservation

“…Our taxonomic description employs several lines of evidence, including external morphological characters, linear morphometry variations, genetic divergence, monophyly, and geographic data. Similar approaches have been useful in recognizing and identifying closely related species of small vertebrates in the northern Andes ( Yánez-Muñoz et al, 2018 ; Brito et al, 2020 ; Reyes-Puig et al, 2020 ).…”

“…During the last five years, we have increased sampling efforts in northern Ecuador, particularly in the Mira River basin, near the border with Colombia. We have focused on this area because the Mira River has been identified as an important biogeographic barrier for small vertebrates and epiphytic plants ( Croat, 2015 ; Baquero & Zuchan, 2017 ; Yánez-Muñoz et al, 2018 ; Reyes-Puig et al, 2020 ; Brito et al, 2020 ).…”

Tracking Cloud Forests With Cloud Technology and Random Forests

“…These forests comprise 10% of the country's territory, but they contain half of the country's species, of which 39% are endemic. In the previous 5 years alone, new species of frogs (Guayasamin et al, 2019), bamboo (Clark and Mason, 2019), lizards (Reyes-Puig et al, 2020), hummingbirds (Sornoza-Molina et al, 2018), and orchids (Romero et al, 2017) have been discovered in Ecuador's CFs.…”