This species lived in rainforest, wet sclerophyll forest and riverine gallery open forest at 350 m asl and was closely associated with watercourses and adjacent rock pools and soaks (Czechura 1991, Meyer et al. 2001). These streams are mostly perennial, but in extremely dry years they may cease to flow (Ingram 1983). The vegetation along the stream banks is usually closed forest or tall closed forest with emergent eucalypts, although there are some sites in open forest with grassy ground cover (Ingram 1983). In spring and summer individuals were usually found in or at the edge of rock pools, either amongst leaf-litter, under and between stones or in crevices around the edge (Ingram 1983). The species was also found under rock in shallow water in backwaters and also the main flow of permanent watercourses (Ingram 1983, Czechura 1991).

Searches of popular sites in winter only recovered two frogs and it is assumed that the species hibernated in deep crevices in rocks or spaces between rocks underwater during the colder months (Ingram 1983). Adult males tended to prefer deeper pools, whereas females and juveniles may have moved to newly created pools after rain as long as these pools contained stones and/or leaf-litter (Ingram 1983). The prerequisite for the use of pools by this species seemed to be that the pool must be deep enough for the frog to be able to sit with its head out of the water and be able to safely submerge (Ingram 1983). Individuals would only sit fully exposed on the rocks during light rain (Ingram 1983). The species was never recorded from cleared riparian habitat.

Breeding activity occurred between October and December (Ingram 1983). Males called from rock crevices above pools (Ingram 1983). Females brood young within their stomach and gave birth through the mouth (Tyler and Carter 1982). Fertilized eggs or early stage larvae were presumably swallowed by the female and completed their development in the stomach (Tyler and Carter 1982). The number of eggs in gravid females (approximately 40) exceeded the number of juveniles found to occur in the stomach (21–26) (Tyler 1989). It is not known whether or not the excess eggs were digested by the female or whether or not they were simply not swallowed (Tyler 1989). The production of hydrochloric acid in the stomach of the female ceased during brooding (Tyler et al. 1983). Tadpoles developed in a manner similar to the aquatic tadpoles of other species though, as they fed off egg yolk, the labial teeth were absent and the intestines formed at a later stage of development (Tyler 1989). After 6–7 weeks the females gave birth to up to 25 young (Tyler and Davies 1983a). Young emerged from the female’s mouth as fully formed frogs and after four days the digestive tract returned to normal and the female recommenced feeding (Tyler and Davies 1983b). Ingram (1983) reported minimum brooding periods from two individuals of 36 and 43 days and suggested that the duration was such that females were unlikely to breed twice in one season.

This Australian endemic species was restricted to elevations between 350 and 800 m asl in the Blackall and Conondale Ranges in southeast Queensland (Hines et al. 1999) with a geographic distribution of less than 1,400 km² (map in Hines et al. 1999). It inhabited streams in the catchments of the Mary, Stanley and Mooloolah River (Ingram 1983). It was thought to have been first found in 1972 (Liem 1973), but Ingram (1991) reported a specimen collected in 1914 from the Blackall Range.

Conservation Actions In-Place
The historical range of the species included included Kondalilla National Park, Conondale National Park, Sunday Creek, State Forest 311, Kenilworth State Forest and private land adjacent to these areas (Hines et al. 1999). It is listed in CITES Appendix II.