New distribution records of the critically endangered frog Telmatobufo bullocki Schmidt, 1952 (Anura: Calyptocephalellidae) in southern Chile

In an effort to assess the current geographic distribution of the critically endangered frog Telmatobufo bullocki Schmidt, 1952, we conducted several field surveys in the Nahuelbuta mountain range in central-south Chile. We surveyed historic localities cited in the literature, and potential new localities in private forestry areas. Telmatobufo bullocki was found in six localities: four historic and two new. The discovery of new populations and the confirmation of the persistence of the species in at least four historic localities open new perspectives for the conservation of this threatened species.

Discovery of a new population of the Critically Endangered frog Insuetophrynus acarpicus Barrio, 1970 (Anura: Cycloramphidae): latitudinal and altitudinal extension in the Valdivian Coastal Range, Southern Chile

A new population of the Critically Endangered anuran species Insuetophrynus acarpicus Barrio, 1970 was discovered during a field survey at Valdivian Coastal Range, Los Ríos Region, Southern Chile. Until now, only three populations have been reported for the species. The new founding described in this paper, which extends the latitudinal limit 21 km to the southwest, and its altitudinal range over 486 m a.s.l, constitutes a very important discovery since the species is considered one of the most threatened species in the country and the world.

Amphibian phylogeography in the Antipodes: Refugia and postglacial colonization explain mitochondrial haplotype distribution in the Patagonian frog Eupsophus calcaratus (Cycloramphidae)

Climatic oscillations, heterogeneity in elevation, topographical position, and isolation time in southwestern Patagonia have been important in promoting diversification of the biota. Geological studies have shown that this region had wide ice-free areas during periods of the last glacial maximum and provided forested refugia for the biota during Pleistocene glaciations. In this study, we sampled the endemic frog Eupsophus calcaratus from 20 localities, covering most of its distribution and including glaciated and non-glaciated regions. We collected DNA sequences for three mitochondrial regions (D-loop, cyt b, 16S), and describe patterns of variation consistent with a history of both the displacement to glacial refugia and recent recolonization to extensively glaciated regions. The inferred demographic history and divergence times of the lineages of E. calcaratus suggest that the Pleistocene had profound effects on the genetic patterns within this taxon in which some populations were able to survive in refugia within colder regions followed by demographic increases but without evidence of significant range expansion. The mtDNA gene tree recovers six major haploclades of E. calcaratus, which we consider diagnostic of species lineages. These results contribute to our understanding of how geological events, predominately glacial oscillations, have influenced current population structure of a broad-ranging, ectothermic vertebrate in the Valdivian Forest region of southern South America.

Amphibia, Anura, Cycloramphidae, Alsodes vanzolinii (Donoso-Barros, 1974): rediscovery in nature, latitudinal and altitudinal extension in Nahuelbuta Range, southern Chile

New populations of the Critically Endangered anuran species Alsodes vanzolinii (Donoso-Barros 1974) were discovered during two field surveys at Nahuelbuta Range, Biobío region, southern Chile. Adult specimens have not been reported since the original description of the species heretofore. The new records provided herein extend the latitudinal limit of what was previously thought to be the only population of the species 40 km to the southwest, and the altitudinal limit from 25 m a.s.l. to 700 m a.s.l.

Amphibia, Anura, Ceratophryidae, Batrachyla nibaldoi Formas, 1997: latitudinal extension in Patagonia, southern Chile, and distributional range actualization

The new record of the anuran species Batrachyla nibaldoi Formas, 1997 provided herein extends the latitudinal limit 240 km to the south east of the type locality and 220 km to the south east of what was previously thought to be the southernmost population in Patagonia, Chile.