A reference work. The Atlas of Amphibians of Guyana will appear this month, after several years of field research with amphibian species in French Guiana. The book concentrates the latest knowledge and discoveries made over the last 20 years. Like the two other authors of the atlas, Antoine Fouquet provided valuable information on these animals, little known in mainland France.
The work includes identification sheets for the 137 species of amphibians recorded. © DR
A better understanding of the species
It is partly thanks to the work of the Toulouse researcher that the number of amphibian species known in Guyana increased between 2000 and 2024, from 110 to 137. This classification undertaking has made it possible to better understand endemism and distribution of individuals on Guyanese territory. These studies are part of a more global need and desire to understand the evolution of wildlife on the continent.
These same molecular data have also revolutionized the understanding of the evolutionary histories of species, that is to say their kinship relationships and the temporality of these relationships. Telling the story of the amphibians of Guyana requires telling that of the continent and the Amazon as a whole,” indicates the CNRS Ouest-Occitanie.
Educational work
To reach a wide audience, the atlas includes species iconographies, distribution maps, as well as identification tools. The goal is that “naturalists, students, teachers, lovers of Guyana and […] people engaged in the conservation of Amazonian biodiversity” can benefit from a reference work on the subject.
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