List of species from the Mammalogy and Herpetology collections of the Museum of Zoology of the University of Azuay (MZUA)

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Published: 2023-05-17
DOI: https://doi.org/10.26807/remcb.v44i1.953
Keywords:
amphibians, biodiversity, biological collections, reptiles, mammals, Southern Andes of Ecuador

Main Article Content

Bernarda Vásquez-Ávila
University of Azuay image/svg+xml
Pablo Sebastián Padrón
Zoology Museum of Azuay University

Abstract

The biological collections of a country are fundamental for the understanding and conservation of its biodiversity. These collections are critical for megadiverse countries such as Ecuador. In total, information on 3757 specimens belonging to 456 species deposited in the MZUA is reported. Mammals are represented in five orders, 15 families and 105 species. Regarding Herpetology, the specimens belong to eight orders, 39 families, and 351 species. These species represent a quarter (456 species) of all species (1634 species) of mammals, reptiles and amphibians reported until 2022 for Ecuador. Among these specimens, seven holotypes and 46 paratypes stand out. Clear geographic patterns are observed in terms of the distribution of collected specimens. Cuenca, which is the canton of the Azuay province, is the area with the most specimens. The altitudinal range with the highest number of records is between 3000 to 4000 m, and the natural region of the páramo and eastern montane forests are the area’s most frequently sampled. Our results demonstrate the importance of the biological collections of the MZUA, especially in the representation of specimens from the south-central region of the country. The collection also shows that there are many areas in which little or no collection has occurred.

Article Details

Issue

Vol. 44 No. 1: Mayo 2023

Section

Notas científicas
Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

How to Cite

1.
List of species from the Mammalogy and Herpetology collections of the Museum of Zoology of the University of Azuay (MZUA). REMCB [Internet]. 2023 May 17 [cited 2026 Sep. 23];44(1). Available from: https://remcb-puce.edu.ec/remcb/article/view/953

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