Rediscovery of Andinophryne olallai Hoogmoed, 1985 (Anura, Bufonidae), an enigmatic and endangered Andean toad.

Abstract

We report the rediscovery of Andinophryne olallai, an endangered species only known from a single specimen, collected in 1970. At the type locality, Tandayapa, Pichincha Province, numerous follow-up surveys after 1970 failed to record the species suggesting that the population is extinct. The rediscovery of A. olallai took place in 2012 at Río Manduriacu, Imbabura Province, Ecuador. Two surveys suggest that a healthy population of A. olallai survives at the site, with observations of froglets, juveniles, and adults across numerous stream systems. However, the extent of known occupancy of the population is small (<1 km2). Further data are presented to update knowledge of the distribution, ontogeny, morphology, and conservation status of the species. The population at Río Manduriacu is surrounded by logging, mining, and hydroelectric developments that could compromise its future survival. There is an urgent need to establish a monitoring program and to protect its remaining population and habitat in the region.