Ana Almendáriz

Two new species of Hylid frogs, genus Osteocephalus, from Amazonian Ecuador

We describe two new species of treefrogs of the genus Osteocephalus from primary forests in northeastern Amazonian Ecuador. One is a small to medium-sized species without or with only few eat dorsal tubercles in males and a large light subocular area. Tadpoles assigned to this species were found in a bromeliad and had eaten fertilized frog eggs, most likely provided by the parents. The second species is small to medium, has a smooth dorsum both in males and females and no light subocular spot. Resumen. Describimos dos nuevas especies de ranas arboricolas del genero Osteocephalus de bosques primarios en la Amazonia nororiental en Ecuador. La primera especie es de pequena a mediana sin o con pocos tuberculos dorsales aplanados en machos y una mancha clara subocular grande. Los renacuajos asignados a esta especie fueron encontrados en una bromelia y habian comido huevos de rana fertilizados, probablemente proveidos por la madre. La segunda especie es de pequena a mediana, tiene dorso liso tanto en hembras como en machos y no tiene manchas suboculares claras.

Una especie nueva de rana arbórea del género Hyloscirtus (Amphibia: Anura: Hylidae) de la Cordillera del Cóndor

Ecuadorian frogs of genus Hyloscirtus comprises 16 described species, of which eleven belong to the H. larinopygion group. They are restricted to the flanks of the Andes, both east and west. An assessment of the herpetofauna in the southern part of Cordillera del Condor (montane forests on sandstone plateaus) province of Zamora Chinchipe, Ecuador, led to the discovery of a new species for the group, which we describe herein as Hyloscirtus condor sp. nov. We herein analyze the tadpoles and advertisement calls, as well as estimate the phylogenetic relationships of the new and related species, based on new sequences of mitochondrial genes 12S, tRNAValy 16S, until a total of 2508 bp. The results show that the group H. larinopygion comprises two clades: one occurring in the northern and central Andes, and the second in the south. The new species belongs to the southern clade, is sister to H. tapichalaca, and a seemingly undescribed species from Provincia Morona Santiago. The new species differs from all its congeners in color pattern, which consists of dark yellow dots on a tan background. It is the largest species of the H. larinopygion group and shares with H. tapichalaca the presence of a large prepollical curved spine and hypertrophied forearms. The new species inhabits a remote and well-preserved area of Cordillera del Condor. The discovery of new species and others at the site denotes the biological importance of this area and encourages the development of conservation plans.

A new species of blunt-headed vine snake (Colubridae,Imantodes) from the Chocó region of Ecuador

Abstract We describe a new species of Imantodes from the Chocó region of northwestern Ecuador. The new species differs most significantly from all other congeners in lacking a loreal scale. We analyze the phylogenetic relationships among species of Imantodes based on two mitochondrial genes, and postulate that the new species and Imantodes lentiferus are sister taxa. A key to the species of Imantodes from Ecuador is presented.

TAXONOMIC STATUS OF TANTILLA EQUATORIANA WILSON AND MENA 1980 (SERPENTES: COLUBRIDAE)

Abstract The colubrid snake Tantilla equatoriana was described from 2 male specimens on the basis of several characters of color pattern and relatively high number of subcaudals. We examined the types and 3 additional specimens of T. equatoriana to assess whether the characters used to diagnose this taxon are unique or overlap with those of the highly variable, sympatric species T. melanocephala. Based on these data and a Principal Components Analysis of morphometric variation of T. equatoriana and T. melanocephala, we treat T. equatoriana as a junior synonym of T. melanocephala.

Phyllomedusa ecuatoriana Cannatella (Amphibia: Hylidae): variación, descripción del renacuajo, vocalización y anotaciones sobre la historia natural

Information is presented on morphological variation in the frog, Phyllomedusa ecuatoriana, with a description ot the tadpole, vocalizations, and notes on its natural history and distribution, based on material recently collected in the Cordillera del Condor, Zamora Chinchipe Province, Ecuador. Phyllomedusa ecuatoriana is of medium size (male SVL length 46.1 to 55.4 mm; female SVL 72.2 mm). The tapole (Gosner stage 26) has a dentary formula of 2 (2)/3 (1); tooth row P3 is smaller than P1 and P2. The tadpoles develop in pools of various sizes in turbid water stained by the presence of tanins. The vocalizations are modulated frequencies, with the dominant frequency averaging 1.53 kHz; the calls are composed of a single note and 2-3 pulses. Adult frogs feed primarily on spiders (20%) of the family Argiopidae.

Amphibia, Hylidae, Osteocephalus cabrerai Cochran and Goin, 1970: first confirmed records from Ecuador with distribution map

We provide the first confirmed report of Osteocephalus cabrerai (Cochran and Goin 1970) from Amazonian Ecuador. Two previous reports actually correspond to O. buckleyi .

A giant on the ground: another large-bodied Atractus (Serpentes: Dipsadinae) from Ecuadorian Andes, with comments on the dietary specializations of the goo-eaters snakes

Body-size is significantly correlated with the number of vertebrae (pleomerism) in multiple vertebrate lineages, indicating that somitogenesis process is an important factor dictating evolutionary change associated to phyletic allometry and, consequently, species fitness and diversification. However, the role of the evolution of extreme body sizes (dwarfism and gigantism) remains elusive in snakes, mainly with respect to postnatal ontogeny in dietary preferences associated with evolution of gigantism in many lineages. We described herein a new species in the highly diversified and species-rich genus Atractus on the basis of four specimens from the southeastern slopes of the Ecuadorian Andes. The new species is morphologically similar and apparently closely related to two other allopatric giant congeners (A. gigas and A. touzeti), from which it can be distinguished by their distinct dorsal and ventral coloration, the number of supralabial and infralabial scales, the number of maxillary teeth, and relative width of the head. In addition, we discuss on the ontogenetic trajectories hypotheses and dietary specializations related to evolution of gigantism in the goo-eaters genus Atractus.

The Phyllomedusa perinesos group (Anura: Hylidae) is derived from a Miocene Amazonian Lineage.

The Phyllomedusa perinesos group is composed of four species that inhabit cloud forests in the eastern Andean slopes. We estimated the phylogenetic relationships among them and their closest relatives using mitochondrial DNA sequences. Our results confirm the monophyly of the group and a close relationship with the Amazonian species Phyllomedusa atelopoides and Phyllomedusa tomopterna. A chronogram indicates that the group originated during the Miocene and the contemporary species diverged from their closest relatives during the Miocene and early Pliocene. The timing of the groups origin suggests that its evolution was linked to the rise of the eastern Andes. Based on the phylogeny we expand the species content of the group to include P. atelopoides and P. tomopterna.