Confirmed presence of Neogale frenata (Carnivora, Mustelidae) in the Cordillera del Cóndor (Ecuador) and comments on its taxonomy

Neogale frenata (long-tailed weasel) is possibly the most widely distributed small carnivore in the Americas, as evidenced by the 42 subspecies that span its range; however, its presence is unknown in several areas due to its discontinuous distribution and there are no taxonomic studies that ratify the validity of the 42 subspecies. In this short communication, we present the first confirmed records of the species for the Cordillera del Cóndor, a mountain range that runs parallel to the Andes and that serves as a border between Ecuador and Peru. We obtained two records, one through capture and the other via direct observation, all within the province of Zamora Chinchipe, Ecuador. These records extend the distribution of the species to an area where it was only known from unconfirmed reports of local people. Through mitochondrial DNA analysis we confirmed that the captured individual belongs to the subspecies Neogale frenata helleri , which is found in Huánuco, Peru (660 km south). The analysis also raised questions about the validity of the recognized subspecies indicating that further studies are needed since several of the subspecies included in the sample may lack taxonomic validity.