Reptiles of Ecuador: A resource-rich online portal, with dynamic checklists and photographic guides

Abstract

With 477 species of non-avian reptiles within an area of 283,561 km2, Ecuador has the highest density of reptile species richness among megadiverse countries in the world. This richness is represented by 35 species of turtles, five crocodilians, and 437 squamates including three amphisbaenians, 197 lizards, and 237 snakes. Of these, 45 species are endemic to the Galapagos Islands and 111 are mainland endemics. The high rate of species descriptions during recent decades, along with frequent taxonomic changes, has prevented printed checklists and books from maintaining a reasonably updated record of the species of reptiles from Ecuador. Here we present Reptiles del Ecuador (http://bioweb.bio/faunaweb/reptiliaweb), a free, resource-rich online portal with updated information on Ecuadorian reptiles. This interactive portal includes encyclopedic information on all species, multimedia presentations, distribution maps, habitat suitability models, and dynamic PDF guides. We also include an updated checklist with information on distribution, endemism, and conservation status, as well as a photographic guide to the reptiles from Ecuador.