Herpetofauna of the Bilsa Biological Station, province of Esmeraldas, Ecuador

Abstract

The Bilsa Biological Station is located on the Mache-Chindul mountains and protects some of the last rainforestremnants in the province of Esmeraldas, northwestern Ecuador. Since 2004, we have been inventorying the amphibiansand reptiles of Bilsa. We found 109 species of herpetofauna (37 amphibians and 72 reptiles), representing 8 % and 18% of the known species from Ecuador, respectively. We report distribution extensions for Sachatamia albomaculata,Hyalinobatrachium valerioi, Pristimantis muricatus, and P. rosadoi, and report the presence of several putatively undescribedspecies. We propose the Mache–Chindul mountains as a Key Biodiversity Area within the West Ecuadorian Endemic Area.