Stream in Choachí where I took samples to detect Atelopus lozanoi

With 88 out of 100 species critically endangered and 38 possibly extinct, the Neotropical harlequin toads (genus Atelopus) are among the most endangered of all amphibians. The majority of Colombia’s 40 species have not been seen in three decades. While some may be extinct, others are likely persisting at very low abundance. We need more efficient tools to look for declining frogs before they vanish. We will deploy new environmental DNA (eDNA) methods to speed up the search in Colombia.