The Andes is one of the longest continental mountain range in the world with nearly 8000 km of longitude. This mountain belt extends along the western edge of South America through seven countries, and is divided into three regions: Southern, Central, and Northern Andes.
The Northern Andes encompasses the Ecuadorean, Colombian, and Venezuelan cordilleras. We chose the Ecuadorean Andes as our study site for the Cold lizard project as they are home of the six lizard species of Stenocercusgenus that exhibit an intriguing thermal ecology.
In November 2021, I organized a road trip to establish my study sites. My volunteer and I, departed from Quito heading towards El Angel Ecological Reserve, located in Carchi Province, near the border with Colombia. During our journey, we passed through Ibarra, a city historically known as "The White City" due to the facades of its colonial buildings. This city is situated at the foothills of Imbabura Volcano, and in its surroundings, attractions such as Yahuarcocha Lake can be visited.
After travelling for 5 hours, we decided to stay overnight in the town of Mira to rest. The next morning, we headed to El Voladero Lake, located in El Angel Ecological Reserve, where we knew we could find individuals of Stenocercus angel. Unfortunately, the day wasn't sunny enough to observe them active; however, we enjoyed the beautiful landscape formed by Espeletia plants.
The next day, we were unsure of where to go to find the endemic species S. chota. Fortunately, this species is quite common, and indeed, we found a population in the valleys around the town of Mira, in Carchi province.
Our next stop was Jerusalem Recreational Park and Protected Forest, located in Pichincha Province, where the largest remnants of the inter-Andean dry forest are found. One of the S. guentheri populations that are interest to us is frequently found at this site.
The second S. guentheri population included in our study occurs at Cotopaxi National Park, in Cotopaxi and Pichincha Provinces. This National Park protects the second-highest summit as well as one of the most iconic natural attractions of Ecuador. This active volcano is sacred to local people and in Quichua its name means 'neck to the moon'.
A journey of approximately 4 hours south from Cotopaxi National Park took us to Chimborazo Wildlife Production Reserve. This reserve is home to populations of S. cadlei, the endemic whorl-tail iguana that is found at the foothills of Ecuador’s highest mountain, Chimborazo. This monumental volcano has attracted the attention of renowned personalities like Edward Whymper and Alexander von Humboldt, as well as ours.
Another endemic species of this research project, S. festae, inhabits 5 hours south of Chimborazo Wildlife Reserve at El Gullan Scientific Station, located in Azuay Province. This Scientific Station is close to Cuenca, the third-largest city of Ecuador that due to its history and state of preservation is one of the three UNESCO World Heritage Trusts sites in this country.
To wrap up our journey, we arrived to our southernmost study site, Madrigal of Podocarpus Reserve, located in Loja Province. This private reserve has dedicated intense efforts over the past 19 years to protect and preserve the cloud forest in the area. This dedication has been rewarded with visits from spectacled bear families, underscoring the significance of their conservation work.
Estefany S. Guerra-Correa