When a new species is announced in a scientific journal, the public often sees a photograph, a scientific name, and perhaps a brief news article describing the discovery. What remains invisible is the journey behind that name—the years of exploration, failed expeditions, genetic analyses, museum work, and conservation concerns that make species discovery possible. Over the course of my career, I have participated in the description of 36 species of amphibians and reptiles from Panama, Central America, and South America. These discoveries include frogs, salamanders, lizards, and snakes, many of which inhabit remote cloud forests, isolated mountain ranges, and poorly explored tropical ecosystems. Despite decades of biological exploration in the Neotropics, new vertebrate species continue to be discovered regularly. This reality highlights both the extraordinary biodiversity of our region and the urgent need to document and conserve it.
Discovery is a long process
People often imagine species discovery as a single moment in the field. In reality, that moment is only the beginning. The process usually starts with the planification of the field excursion, selecting unexplored area usually is my task. After that is not just matter of an observation. Bit of experiences can highlight an unusual color pattern, a distinctive call, an isolated population, or an animal found in a place where it was not expected to occur. At that stage, we rarely know whether we are looking at a new species or simply an unusual population of a known one. The true answer emerges only after years of work involving field surveys, specimen comparisons, DNA analyses, bioacoustics, ecological observations, and extensive reviews of scientific literature and museum collections. Many potential discoveries never become new species. Others take years before sufficient evidence accumulates to formally describe them.
The hidden value of field exploration
Modern biology increasingly benefits from advanced technologies, but field exploration remains irreplaceable. Some of the most important discoveries occur in places that are physically difficult to access. Reaching these sites often requires hiking through steep terrain, working at night under challenging weather conditions, crossing rivers, and spending long periods in remote areas. Fieldwork teaches humility. Most expeditions do not produce dramatic discoveries. Instead, they gradually build the observations and collections needed to understand biodiversity patterns. Every specimen, photograph, recording, and observation contributes to a larger picture that may only become clear years later.
Why molecular data changed everything?
One of the greatest transformations in modern taxonomy has been the integration of molecular tools. For many amphibians and reptiles, external appearance alone is no longer sufficient to identify species boundaries. Genetic analyses frequently reveal cryptic diversity—evolutionary lineages that are genetically distinct but visually similar. Several species that were once considered widespread have turned out to be complexes of multiple endemic species, each restricted to a particular mountain range, watershed, or forest fragment. These findings are more than taxonomic refinions. They directly influence conservation priorities because a species believed to occupy thousands of square kilometers may actually consist of several microendemic species occupying only a fraction of that area.
Species discovery and conservation are inseparable
One of the most rewarding aspects of species discovery is its contribution to conservation. Many newly described amphibians and reptiles are already threatened when they are formally recognized. Habitat loss, climate change, emerging diseases, and land-use change often affect populations long before scientists understand their existence. Describing a species is therefore not the end of a project. In many ways, it is the beginning. Once a species is formally recognized, it can be assessed for conservation status, incorporated into management plans, considered in environmental impact assessments, and included in conservation strategies. Without a name, a species remains largely invisible to policy and conservation frameworks.
The future of discovery in the Neotropics
People sometimes ask whether there are still many vertebrate species left to discover. Based on my experience, the answer is clearly yes. Remote mountain systems, isolated valleys, understudied forests, and even relatively accessible regions continue to reveal previously undocumented biodiversity. Advances in molecular techniques are also helping us recognize species that were overlooked for decades. The challenge ahead is not only discovering these species but ensuring that they survive long enough to be studied and protected. Many of the habitats that harbor undiscovered biodiversity are experiencing increasing human pressures and even more challenging the appearance of emergent diseases. Unfortunately, not every discovery ends with a scientific publication. Some undescribed species that I encountered years ago have not been seen again. When I recently revisited the same localities, I was unable to find them despite extensive searches, a sobering reminder that species can disappear before they are even formally recognized by science. The race between discovery and conservation is becoming more urgent every year.
Lessons from describing new species
After participating in the description of 36 amphibian and reptile species, several lessons stand out.
1. Nature is more diverse than we imagine. Even in regions that have been studied for decades, new species continue to emerge. Every expedition reinforces the idea that our understanding of biodiversity remains incomplete.
2. Field biology still matters. Satellite imagery, genetics, and artificial intelligence are powerful tools, but discoveries still begin with people willing to spend time in forests, rivers, mountains, and wetlands.
3. Collaboration is essential. Modern species descriptions require multidisciplinary teams that include field biologists, taxonomists, geneticists, museum curators, photographers, conservation practitioners, and local collaborators.
4. Conservation starts with knowledge. It is impossible to protect species that remain unknown. Taxonomy provides the foundation upon which effective conservation strategies are built.
5. Curiosity remains our most important tool. Every discovery begins with a question. Why does this population look different? Why does it occur here and nowhere else? Why does it call differently? Scientific curiosity remains the driving force behind exploration and discovery.
Final thoughts
The scientific name that eventually appears in a journal represents only a small part of a much larger story. Behind every species description are years of exploration, collaboration, uncertainty, and persistence. For me, the greatest reward has never been the publication itself. It has been the opportunity to contribute to our understanding of biodiversity and to help ensure that these remarkable species have a future. As long as unexplored forests remain and unanswered questions persist, the story of species discovery in the Neotropics is far from over.
Acknowledgments
The author thanks the Senckenberg Institute, Goethe University, Universidad Autónoma de Chiriquí, the Secretaria Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología (SENACYT), the Sistema Nacional de Investigación (SNI-AIP), Asociación Adopta Bosque Panamá, Fundación Los Naturalistas, Palacky University, and the Ministerio de Ambiente. Thanks also to the people of the local communities of Pavarando, Pucuro, Ambroya, Bajo Pequeño, Sambú, Garachine, Nurra, and Pijibasal, and to Gustavo Dojiramá, Daniel Caceres, Konrad Mebert, Milan Vesely, Yorlis Caceres, Guido Berguido, and Samuel Valdes.