Alejandro Arteaga is an Ecuadorian-Venezuelan biologist and explorer best known for being the author of the "Reptiles of Ecuador",[1][2] and the discoverer of 35 new species.[3][4] He co-founded the Arteaga Species Discovery Fund in collaboration with former President of Ecuador Rosalía Arteaga.[5]
Arteaga was born on September 16, 1991, in Caracas, Venezuela, and later moved to Quito, Ecuador, where he obtained his BSc in biology from the Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador.[6] He published his first species new to science, Pristimantis bambu, at age 19.[7]
While still a student in 2009, Arteaga co-founded Tropical Herping, a tour agency offering nature photography trips and herpetological tours throughout the world's tropics.[8] After serving as president of Tropical Herping until 2022, he founded Khamai Foundation, where he now serves at CEO.[9] Arteaga is the author of 26 research articles, primarily on systematic and biogeography of amphibians and reptiles.[10] In 2023, in collaboration with former president of Ecuador Rosalía Arteaga, he created the world's first fund devoted exclusively towards the discovery of new species.[11]
Arteaga was awarded with the Big Picture Natural World Photography Award in 2015.[12]