Amphibians (Amphibia, Lissamphibia) from the Cordilleras Central and Occidental, Department of Caldas, Colombia: A century of data collection and research

The Andean region of Colombia hosts a high number of endemic amphibian species due to the complex topography of the three main cordilleras and the associated mountain massifs. Located in the Central Andes, the Department of Caldas spans the eastern slopes of the Cordillera Occidental, both slopes of the Cordillera Central, and the middle sections of the Cauca and Magdalena inter-Andean valleys. We compiled and analyzed the amphibian richness and distribution data across Caldas’ political and natural subdivisions using information from biological collections, scientific literature, and recent field work. We reported 135 species distributed in 48 genera, 18 families, and three orders (Anura, Caudata, and Gymnophiona), of which 22 species have their type locality within Caldas. Despite the department’s high amphibian diversity across its 7,888 km² area, information gaps remain after almost 100 years of research: one of the 27 municipalities lacks data entirely, several are underrepresented, and there are few records and uneven sampling in the western part of Caldas. To fill these distribution and knowledge gaps, we highlight as survey priority areas the Cauca Valley Dry and Montane Forests ecoregions on the eastern slope of Cordillera Occidental.