Ecuador Travel

492 Amphibians in Ecuador, well yes is quite a number for a country so small, in fact it`s a 50% more than the total amphibians in the United States territory, so you can see much more of them in a visit to Ecuador.

The Ecuadorian amphibians exhibit quite peculiar ways of reproduction, such as the marsupial frogs that inhabit the Ecuadorian Andes. Other species are important because of the potential use of their skin secretions by the pharmacological industry. The Ecuadorian tricolor frog a poison-dart frog, produces  a very powerful analgesic substance.

Frogs and toads  were also important to pre-columbian cultures. which associated them with rain and therefore with the germination of life.

There are known nearly 5.000 species of amphibians in the world, and every day new species are discovered for the researchers, specially in little explored regions such as the Andean cloud forests. Ecuador has formally 492 described species  of amphibians in it´s territory.

In the Amazon rainforest is specially known by ecuadorian tribes the powerful effect of frogs poison, the natives use the poison in their arrows heads, throwed by a long pipe of hard wood, made it by hand, called "cerbatana" a blowgun, this is the  key weapon for hunt in the rainforest, it`s called "Curare" and if you do a trip to any Ecuador`s Amazon lodge managed by the community you can request to go hunting with the tribemen to chase an animal with this powerful poison, obviusly they do that as part of their way of life in the deep Amazon forest.

The Ecuadorian amphibians are wide distributed in the country going from the Amazon rainforest and coastal areas located few meters above sea level to 3,500 metres (11.480 feet) this wide distribution shows incredible diversity and ethnicity.

The best locations in Ecuador to see Amphibians are:

• Amazon Rainforest provinces specially in national parks and reserves (Yasuni, Cuyabeno, Sumaco Galeras, Cayambe Coca, Sangay, Podocarpus and others)
• Andean paramos (moorlands) specially the areas located near volcanoes and lakes in the Andean highlands, as well the low valleys and more warm areas near rivers. The Andean national parks and reserves are excellent areas to catch up with them.
• Coastal wet land and cloudforest, the concentration of sea clouds and winds in the western slopes of the Ecuadorian Andes, creates an excellent place for the growing of the local amphibians, the low wetlands and the large wet areas in the coast as well the dry forests and the mangrove forests are key parts for the amphibians ecosystem.

When to travel to see Ecuadorian amphibians

Ecuador has for it`s locations to very specific seasons, wet and dry, in general the best season starts in October and goes until May, because is the rainy season and for logic reasons the amphibians would love to have a wet environment specially for the abundant food to feed their progeny.

The dry season is a particular option to see a different kind of amphibians, that means you could see a little bit less number of amphibians but in fact they are visible and relative easily to catch up.

How to setup your amphibians safari in Ecuador

The best way to do this is searching for wildlife tour operator specially the ones who works with birdwatching, as well the Amazon and cloud forest lodges who has inside their crew excellent biologists and could help to plan your trip.