Nifty News: 30 New Species Discovered in Ecuador Rainforest

In a press release on January 14, 2010 it was announced that an expedition to the coastal rainforests of western Ecuador has discovered 30 new species of frog and a slug-sucking snake. Huge news. The team of scientists, who work for Reptile and Amphibian Ecology International, also identified four new species of stick insect, three species of lungless salamanders, a tiny, scaly-eyed gecko known as Lepidoblepharis buschwaldii and a bushmaster – the longest viper in the world.

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Most of the new animals were discovered in the forests of Cerro Pata de Pájaro, a mountain overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Its cloud forests are particularly fecund: 14 of the 30 new species of frog discovered were found in a patch of cloud forest just a couple of miles wide. The newly-discovered frogs are “rain” frogs of the genus Pristimantis, which lay their eggs in trees. As the eggs hatch, miniature versions of the adult frogs – some the size of a pinhead – fall into the water below. One of the frogs is a so-called glass frog that has a transparent chest.

– Full story here –

Gallery and Species Details

Rain frogs, like these unidentified Pristimantis individuals, are dependent on moist habitats as they lay their eggs in trees. As a result, climate change caused by human activity may interfere with these frogs' ability to reproduce.

This is a new stick insect, of the genus Xylospinodes. It was one of at least four new species of such creatures discovered by the expedition.

An unidentified snail-sucking snake of the genus Sibon. A similar species was found nearly 1000 kilometres away in Panama.

A spectacular eyelash viper, Bothriechis schlegelli.

Another unidentified rain frog of the genus Pristimantis. This one is distinguished by a red streak through the iris.

Salamanders of the genus Bolitoglossa lack lungs. Instead, they breathe entirely through their skin. This one was encountered in western Ecuador.

The tiny scaly-eyed gecko, Lepidoblepharis buschwaldii, is one of the smallest geckos known to exist.

This bright male O'Shaughnessy's Dwarf Iguana, Enyalioides oshaughnessyi, was discovered in a cloud forest.