Diversity, threat, and conservation of reptiles from continental Ecuador

Abstract

Ecuador is one of the most reptile-diverse countries in the world, with 464 currently recognized species. Similar to other taxa, reptiles in Ecuador face important conservation challenges because of anthropogenic activities. Using distribution data of nearly 90% of the species of reptiles from continental Ecuador, as well as information on ecosystem protection status and anthropogenic activities, we present the first comprehensive quantitative study of reptile conservation in Ecuador. While species richness is higher in northwestern Ecuador and the central-northern Amazon, the conservation priority areas identified in this study also include the central Pacific coast, southwestern Ecuador, and the central-southern Amazon. Similar areas have been identified by previous studies as conservation gaps. Thus, our study reinforces the idea of protecting those areas to improve the conservation of biodiversity in continental Ecuador.