Research
Amphibians and Reptiles of Guyana
The Guiana Shield region of northeastern South America, of which Guyana is a part, has been recognized as a global biodiversity hotspot by the World Conservation Union (IUCN) and other organizations. ROM research has contributed to the documentation of the biodiversity of this important region.
Since 1990, herpetologist Ross MacCulloch has been collecting and studying the amphibians and reptiles of Guyana. Fieldwork has been concentrated in the western part of the country, especially in the tepuis of the Pakaraima Mountains.
Expeditions to the two highest tepuis within Guyana, Mounts Ayanganna and Wokomung, in 2000 and 2004 respectively, were particularly rewarding. Little is known about the higher-elevation fauna (>1500 metres) of the Guiana Shield, and these two mountains are home to many unique animals, especially frogs. Several new species were collected. Other species were collected for the first time in Guyana.
The ROM's collections from Guyana have contributed to the IUCN Global Amphibian Assessment and to the Biodiversity of the Guiana Shield Program.
This research has been generously supported by the ROM Governors and the ROM Reproductions Fund.
Publications List (PDF)
Curators
Ross MacCulloch
Recent Publications
| 2009 | MacCulloch, R.D. and A. Lathrop. "Herpetofauna of Mount Ayanganna, Guyana. Results of the Royal Ontario Museum Ayanganna Expedition 2000." Royal Ontario Museum Science Contributions, 4: 36 pp. |
| 2008 | MacCulloch, R.D., A. Lathrop, L.R. Minter and S.Z. Khan. "Otophryne (Microhylidae) from the highlands of Guyana: redescriptions, vocalisations, tadpoles and new distributions." Papéis Avulsos de Zoologia, 48: 247-261. |
| 2008 | MacCulloch, R.D., A. Lathrop, P.J.R. Kok, L.R. Minter, S.Z. Khan and C.L. Barrio-Amorós. "A new species of Adelophryne (Anura: Eleutherodactylidae) from Guyana, with additional data on Adelophryne gutturosa." Zootaxa, 1884: 36-50. |
| 2007 | MacCulloch, R.D., A. Lathrop, R.P. Reynolds, J.C. Señaris and G.R. Schneider. "Herpetofauna of Mount Roraima, Guiana Shield region, northeastern South America." Herpetological Review, 38: 24-30. |
| 2007 | Lathrop, A. and R.D. MacCulloch. "A new species of Oreophrynella (Anura: Bufonidae) from the highlands of Guyana." Herpetologica, 63: 87-93. |
| 2007 | Kok, P.J.R., M.N.C. Kokubum, R.D. MacCulloch and A. Lathrop. "Morphological variation in Leptodactylus lutzi (Anura, Leptodactylidae) with description of its advertisement call and notes on its courtship behaviour." Phyllomedusa, 6: 45-60. |
| 2006 | MacCulloch, R.D., A. Lathrop and S.Z. Khan. "Exceptional diversity of Stefania (Anura: Cryptobatrachidae) II: six species from Mount Wokomung, Guyana." Phyllomedusa, 5: 31-41. |
| 2006 | Donnelly, M.A., R.D. MacCulloch, C.A. Ugarte and D. Kizirian. "A new riparian gymnophthalmid (Squamata) from Guyana." Copeia, 2006: 396-403. |
| 2005 | MacCulloch, R.D. and A. Lathrop. "Hylid frogs from Mount Ayanganna, Guyana: new species, redescriptions and distributional records." Phyllomedusa, 4: 17-37. |
| 2005 | Señaris, J.C. and R.D. MacCulloch. "Amphibians." In Checklist of the Terrestrial Vertebrates of the Guiana Shield, edited by T. Hollowell and R.P. Reynolds. Bulletin of the Biological Society of Washington 13, pp 8–23. |
Other Links
Biodiversity of the Guiana Shield Program
IUCN Global Amphibian Assessment
Ross crossing a stream on a natural bridge, Pakaraima Mountains, Guyana. © B. Hubley.
Stefania ayangannae, a new species collected on Mount Ayanganna, Guyana. Females of this species carry their eggs on their backs, where they hatch into tiny froglets, with no tadpole stage. © A. Lathrop.
Osteocephalus phasmatus, a new species of large treefrog collected on Mount Ayanganna, Guyana. © A. Lathrop.
