Northwestern South America is one of the biologically most diverse yet least known regions of the world. The Tropical Andes and Chocó-Tumbes-Magdalena ecoregions, two hotspots with high degrees of endemism and conservation priority (Myers et al. 2000, Rodríguez-Mahecha et al. 2004), are part of this region. Especially the Chocoan lowlands and the western Andes of Colombia are areas with exceptional high amphibian diversity and many endemic taxa (eg, Lynch et al. 1997, Lynch & Suárez-Mayorga 2004, Armesto & Señaris
