Carchi Andes toad - frontal 2, Rio Ñambi, Colombia

Let's end the Rio Ñambi coverage with a bang. Meet a very rare and critically endangered frog, the Carchi Andean Toad (Rhaebo colomai).

This species was previously only known from two localities in the province of Carchi, northwestern Ecuador (Cabacera del Rio Baboso and Chical). It was first discovered and described in 1985.

Within Ecuador, it was then never found again, and declared extinct.

In 2015, a 3rd location was added: Reserva Río Ñambí, Colombia. Where these pictures were taken. Formally within Ecuador it is still listed as exctinct or possibly exctinct, yet there's this 2017 report of a rediscovery in Ecuador:

https://noticias.usfq.edu.ec/2017/08/sapo-andino-que-se-creia-extinto-se.html

Within Ecuador, it is under severe threat as both locations there are in the middle of a major deforestation area. The last IUCN assessment is from 2016 and assumes 900 adult individuals and declining.

However, within Río Ñambí it is common "enough", meaning individuals are seen almost every day. We certainly don't have a spectacular story regarding the actual discovery. It was a "oh look, there's one". It was on a leaf just above a tree trunk, directly on the edge of a path. It was calm and made no attempt to flee during our photo shoot. We didn't catch it, just left it where it was found, untouched.

Even if seen regularly here, they don't seem to be photographed that often, so I'll be generous in sharing many shots.