Carnegie Museum of Natural History

One of the Four Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh

Discoverers Expedition Vilcabamba 2016: Herps

An individual of diminutive frog (ca. 1.5 cm) in the genus Noblella, which includes some of the smallest known vertebrates. (Photo Giussepe Gagliardi).
An individual of diminutive frog (ca. 1.5 cm) in the genus Noblella, which includes some of the smallest known vertebrates. (Photo Giussepe Gagliardi).
Imantodes cenchoa, an specimen found at ca. 2,000 m, an unusual elevation for this species. (Photo Giussepe Gagliardi).
Imantodes cenchoa, an specimen found at ca. 2,000 m, an unusual elevation for this species. (Photo Giussepe Gagliardi).
A female of a new species of Pristimantis with her eggs. Species of Pristimantis, as other terraranas, are direct developers, which means that they undergo development without a a free larval (tadpole) stage. (Photo Giussepe Gagliardi).
A female of a new species of Pristimantis with her eggs. Species of Pristimantis, as other terraranas, are direct developers, which means that they undergo development without a a free larval (tadpole) stage. (Photo Giussepe Gagliardi).
A male of another new species of Pristimantis inhabiting cloud forests above ca. 2,500 m. (Photo Santiago Castroviejo).
A male of another new species of Pristimantis inhabiting cloud forests above ca. 2,500 m. (Photo Santiago Castroviejo).

José Padial and his team of researchers are traveling in the remote Vilcabamba mountains of Peru in the pursuit of biodiversity research. He blogs and sends photos as often as possible capturing his expedition along the way