First record of Mesoclemmys wermuthi (Mertens, 1969) (Testudines, Chelidae) from Ecuador and distribution update for western Amazonia

We report the first confirmed records of Wermuth’s Toad-headed Turtle, Mesoclemmys wermuthi (Mertens, 1969) (Testudines, Chelidae), from Ecuador, extending its known distribution by ~420 km northwest within the Amazon Basin, and by ~770 km south from the nearest previous records. Additional records from Peru and Brazil include the first confirmed occurrences in Rondônia and Mato Grosso. Re-examination of museum specimens and photographs corrected previous misidentifications. With these data, M. wermuthi is now confirmed for five countries—Ecuador, Colombia, Peru, Bolivia, and Brazil—substantially expanding knowledge of its Amazonian distribution.