The Cordillera del Condor, in the Southeast of Ecuador, represents one mountain range, with an incredible, but still unexplored diversity of amphibians. Lush vegetation, humid environments, and Andean and Amazonian influences along with rugged terrain have created different environments that are unique to the region. Some species of amphibians, such as the Harlequin frog (Atelopus) and glass frogs (Cochranella, Hyalinobatrachium, etc) can only be found here and require pristine environments. Their populations are affected by human activities.
Unfortunately there are several hydroelectric projects underway in this unique area. The development of international roads and the creation of small towns and gardens needed to support people working in the area have started to put the Cordillera del Cóndor at risk, including the flora and fauna endemic to the area. The Center for Amphibian Conservation at Amaru is dedicated to helping save threatened Ecuadorian amphibians. It currently has populations of several endangered amphibians unique to the Cordillera del Cóndor including the Harlequin Wampukrum Toad (Atelopus wampukrum SP. nov.), the McDiarmid Crystal frog (Cochranella mcdiarmidi), and the Sabetari Crystal frog (Cochranella erminea) which have been rescued from mineral deposits prior to deforestation. With the support of the Amphibian Ark, the Zoo of Philadelphia, and the Ministry of Environment, ACC-Amaru has been able to rescue these species in an effort to establish colonies in captivity while finding a way to stop deforestation.
Today, the main objective of our project is to raise the species and set the basic parameters of behavior and development while we raise young froglets. With the help of a grant from Amphibian Ark, we have been able to design a simpler terrarium installation used for frog development that allows for easy daily maintenance and healthy frog growth. Our terrariums are small (35 cm x 40 cm x 10 cm) and have wet paper towels as the main substrate which is changed every 48 hours. We have found that this system, along with weekly tank cleanings, is very effective and more hygienic than a terrarium with a lot of plants.
In this way, it’s easier to feed the animals and collect feces and uneaten insects. We also found that the time spent changing towels and cleaning tanks is less than the time we dedicate to checking the animals and looking for dead insects and feces among the many plants. We put coconut halves in the tanks as shelters and also put empty pots and plant trimmings for hiding places. These small tanks house up to three juvenile Wampukrum Toads and one to three Glass frogs.

See the original article published in Amphibian Ark magazine. http://www.amphibianark.org/Newsletters/AArk-newsletter-33-Spanish.pdf