Species richness, composition, distribution and conservation status of the amphibians and reptiles of the Cordillera del Cóndor, a region between Ecuador and Peru

Abstract

The Cordillera del Cóndor (CC) mountain range, located parallel to the Eastern Andes and bordering both Ecuador and Peru, is a discontinuous formation whose elevation spans 190–3200 m a.s.l., with unique geology and vegetation, and a wide variety of climates. Here, based on a thorough revision of databases, the scientific literature and on field work, we evaluate the importance of the CC to the species diversity of amphibians and reptiles. We update species richness and composition information, analyze their spatial and elevation distributions, review their conservation status and compare their species richness and composition with those of eight other cordilleras in South America. A total of 165 amphibian species and 137 reptile species have been recorded for the CC. The spatial distribution of the collection localities is notably biased toward a few zones in the cordillera, and the greatest species richness occurs between 1400 and 1800 m a.s.l. Close to 12% of the amphibian species and 3% of the reptile species of the CC are threatened; however, for 22% of the species, either the data are insufficient to assign a risk category or their conservation status has not been evaluated. Of the nine cordilleras compared, the CC has the greatest number of amphibian species and reptile species recorded, and its species composition is similar to that of the Kutukú and Kampankis cordilleras. The CC is an area of enormous importance at the regional level in terms of amphibian and reptile diversity and should be a high conservation priority.