Herpetologists Discover Three New Species of Frogs in Peru

Herpetologists have described three new species of the frog genus Pristimantis from the rugged, misty highlands of northwestern Peru.

Pristimantis chinguelas. Image credit: Chávez et al., doi: 10.3897/evolsyst.9.148522.

With 619 species described to date, Pristimantis is the most diverse group of amphibians.

This genus is distributed in Central and South America, reaching its greatest diversity in the tropical Andes of Colombia, Ecuador and Peru.

The newly-identified members of the genus are Pristimantis chinguelas, Pristimantis nunezcortezi, and Pristimantis yonke.

“They’re small and unassuming,” said Dr. Germán Chávez, a herpetologist at the Instituto Peruano de Herpetología and the Centro de Ornitología y Biodiversidad in Peru.

“But these frogs are powerful reminders of how much we still don’t know about the Andes.”

All species inhabit the paramos and adjacent elfin forests of the mountain ridges north of Abra de Porcuya, the lowest east-west pass in the Peruvian Andes.

“Pristimantis chinguelas, discovered on a cliffside of Cerro Chinguelas, has a body dotted with prominent large tubercles on both sides. Its high-pitched peep can be heard on humid nights,” the researchers said.

“Pristimantis chinguelas lives near a cool mountain stream in a regenerating forest. With large black blotches on axillae and groins, it was named in honor of ornithologist Elio Nuñez-Cortez, a conservation trailblazer in the region.”

“Pristimantis chinguelas, the smallest of the three, was found nestled in bromeliads at nearly 3,000 m. “

“Exploring this area is more than fieldwork — it’s an immersion into wilderness, culture, and resilience,” said Dr. Karen Victoriano-Cigüeñas, also from the Instituto Peruano de Herpetología and the Centro de Ornitología y Biodiversidad.

“Many of these mountain ridges are isolated, with no roads and extreme terrain,” said Dr. Ivan Wong, a herpetologist at the Instituto Peruano de Herpetología.

“The weather shifts within minutes, and the steep cliffs make every step a challenge.”

“It’s no wonder so few scientists have worked here before.”

“But that’s exactly why there’s still so much to find.”

Although the new three species are listed as Data Deficient under IUCN criteria, the scientists observed signs of habitat degradation, fire damage, and expanding farmland.

“The Cordillera de Huancabamba is not just a remote range — it’s a living archive of biodiversity and cultural legacy,” said Dr. Wilmar Aznaran, a herpetologist at the Instituto Peruano de Herpetología and the Centro de Ornitología y Biodiversidad.

“And we’ve barely scratched the surface.”

The team’s paper was published in the journal Evolutionary Systematics.

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G. Chávez et al. 2025. Over the top: Three new species of terrestrial breeding frogs (Anura, Terrarana, Pristimantis) from the highlands of the Cordillera de Huancabamba, northwestern Peru. Evolutionary Systematics 9 (1): 145-166; doi: 10.3897/evolsyst.9.148522