Discover two new types of land frogs in Ecuador

A team of scientists made up of experts from Ecuador, Colombia, the United States and Europe have discovered two new types of land frogs that inhabit the Andean region of Ecuador, the National Biodiversity Institute (Inabio) reported this Friday, July 19, 2019. As explained by Inabio in a statement, these two new types of terrestrial frog belonged to the Prismantis Orestes group of species, but are distinguished from other types of this family by their genetic and vocal characteristics, which is why their taxonomy was changed. In this sense, the results of the study suggest that one of the two new types, baptized with the name of Prismantis Cajanuma, presents dorsal skin with a finely granular texture, evident dorsolateral folds, wide discs on fingers and toes and a ventral coloration pale gray. On the other hand, the second specimen differs from the Prismantis by lacking a differentiated tympanic membrane, because the males lack vocal sacs and because they have expanded discs in the fingers and toes. In addition, this new type, baptized with the name of Prismantis Saturninoi, presents a dorsal skin with a finely tubercular texture and irregular white or cream-whitish spots on the groin and on the hidden surfaces of the thighs. Expand Scientists find a new species of terrestrial frog called Prismantis Orestes, in Loja. Photo: ZooKeys academic journal El Inabio pointed out that the results presented "highlight the importance of providing genetic characterizations of type specimens in taxonomically complex groups such as the Prismantis." In this sense, the researchers suggest that this "diversity of species within the Prismantis Orestes species group will increase as more field expeditions are carried out in the southern Andes of Ecuador." The team responsible for the finding that has allowed to redefine the animal taxonomy of these two new specimens was made up of members of the Particular Technical University of Loja, the University of Azuay and Inabio himself. They also had the help of members of the National University of Colombia, the University of Central Florida (USA), the Université de Lige (Belgium) and the Ovidius University Constanta (Romania). Ecuador is one of the countries with the greatest biodiversity in the world and develops research projects on several of its species, some of which are under threat of extinction. Specifically, within the borders of Ecuador there are approximately 594 species of amphibians, of which about 261 are endemic.