{"id":60119898,"date":"2026-02-09T18:30:06","date_gmt":"2026-02-09T18:30:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/?p=60119898"},"modified":"2026-02-12T19:06:34","modified_gmt":"2026-02-12T19:06:34","slug":"ecuador-the-country-of-frogs-scrambles-to-record-its-diversity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/en\/nature\/ecuador-the-country-of-frogs-scrambles-to-record-its-diversity\/","title":{"rendered":"Ecuador, \u2018the country of frogs\u2019, scrambles to record its diversity"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Scientists in Ecuador are locked in a race against time to learn more about the country\u2019s unique amphibian biodiversity, as the habitats of its cornucopia of species are eroded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ecuador is one of South America\u2019s smallest countries but boasts hundreds of amphibian species. The country has 281.3 such species per 100,000 sq km, according to the BioWeb<\/a> database from the Pontifical Catholic University of Ecuador (PUCE). This, the highest density in the world, has earned Ecuador the nickname \u201ccountry of frogs<\/a>\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To date, various taxonomy efforts (such as BioWeb and AmphibiaWeb<\/a>) have accounted for more than 700 different frog species in Ecuador.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Amphibians, which include toads, frogs, salamanders and caecilians, play important roles in the functioning of ecosystems. As consumers and prey, they are an intermediate link in energy and nutrient chains.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Frogs have cultural value for Indigenous communities in the Ecuadorian Amazon, such as the Shuar and the Achuar. Many also carry strong venom that could have medicinal properties<\/a>. \u201cThat is why Ecuador is privileged,\u201d the biologist Andrea Ter\u00e1n tells Dialogue Earth. She administrates the Life Bank at the Jambatu<\/a> Centre for Amphibian Research and Conservation, based in Ecuador\u2019s capital, Quito.

But while the country continues to reveal new species, the clock is ticking: habitat loss, disease and climate change threaten<\/a> to wipe out this biological wealth before it can be studied.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhen you go to investigate all the groups \u2013 fauna, flora and in our case amphibians \u2013 you begin to understand why these places need to be protected,\u201d explains Ter\u00e1n.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Surinam<\/div>
A Surinam Horned Frog (Ceratophrys cornuta<\/em>) in Yasun\u00ed National Park, in the Ecuadorian Amazon rainforest. This rare species is affected by localised loss of habitat<\/a> due to deforestation (Image: Lucas Bustamante \/ Nature Picture Library \/ Alamy)<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

A biodiversity hotspot<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Ecuador is one of Earth\u2019s 17 megadiverse<\/a> countries. Among its amphibian fauna, 49%<\/a> of the species identified by BioWeb are unique to the country. Last January, scientists described<\/a> seven species endemic to Ecuador whose lineages separated 21 million years ago. The finding has helped to reveal Ecuador\u2019s evolutionary depth.

Santiago Ron, an Ecuadorian evolutionary biologist, PUCE professor and curator of amphibians at the university\u2019s zoology museum, says the country\u2019s unique natural history has helped diverse species to thrive: the uplifting<\/a> of the Tropical Andes 25 million years ago, as well as Ecuador\u2019s location between that mountain range, the Amazon and the Pacific Ocean, have created a variety of landscapes, climatic gradients and ecological niches. All these factors drive evolution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition, Ecuador is on the equator, which results in a relatively stable, tropical climate with year-round water availability. These are ideal conditions for a group as dependent on humidity as amphibians.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Ecuador\u2019s location between the Andes, the Amazon and the Pacific Ocean, alongside plentiful water thanks to its year-round tropical climate, have created the perfect conditions for amphibians (Image: Michael Marquand \/ Alamy)<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Thanks to these factors, Ecuador has the third most<\/a> amphibian species in the world after Brazil and Colombia, which are far larger countries. Inside Ecuador\u2019s hyperdiverse Yasun\u00ed Rainforest, there are 140 amphibian species just within the Tiputini reserve\u2019s 6.5 sq km, as recorded by the Tiputini Biodiversity Station (EBT<\/a>). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The majority of Ecuador\u2019s amphibians are concentrated in the Andean region, according to<\/a> BioWeb. Many frogs live at altitudes of 4,100 metres above sea level \u201cand a little higher\u201d, says Diego Cisneros, who directs the University of San Francisco de Quito\u2019s zoology museum. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are also areas with mountains older than the Andes, such as the Kutuk\u00fa and C\u00f3ndor mountain ranges. These are about 150 million years old and, for a long time, remained unstudied. \u201cThey are like lost worlds of amphibians,\u201d says Ron.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Time running out<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Luis Coloma, director of the Jambatu Centre, believes Ecuador could be home to more than 900 amphibian species. At the current rate of 13 new species discovered per year, however, cataloguing all of them will take another 15-20 years. He fears there will not be enough time. Approximately 60%<\/a> of Ecuador\u2019s amphibians are at risk of extinction; the global figure is thought to be just over 40%<\/a>.

Mining and agriculture cause deforestation and habitat fragmentation, explains Cisneros. Meanwhile, the use of pesticides and synthetic fertilisers is affecting the chemistry of soils, he adds, which also affects amphibians. These animals have been badly impacted by the global spread of chytridiomycosis, too. This deadly fungal disease has triggered 90 presumed extinctions<\/a> among amphibian species.<\/p>\n\n\n\n