It is a terrestrial species associated with riparian habitats in wet evergreen and semi-evergreen tropical forests. It lives on earthen cutting inside evergreen forest and forest floor within secondary forests (Garg and Biju 2016). It is unlikely to tolerate severe habitat disturbance and loss (India Red List Assessment Workshop October 2020). It is not present in cultivated areas. Breeding takes place on wet cliffs in rock crevices, and the larvae are found on these surfaces close to streams.

This species was previously thought to have a wide distribution in the Western Ghats in India. However, records from Maharashtra have been re-assigned to Indirana chiravasi (Dahanukar et al. 2016), and those from Goa have been assigned to Indirana salelkari (Modak et al. 2015). Its range is now restricted to the Western Ghats state of Kerala in India, north of Palghat Gap at Kakkayam, Settukunnu and Suganthagiri, and south of Palghat Gap at Sairandhri in Silent Valley, Kuddam in Siruvani and Pattiar in Siruvani (Garg and Biju 2016). It occurs between 752–1,200 m asl (Garg and Biju 2016; N. Modak pers. comm. October 2020). Its range may extend into southern Karnataka state (N. Modak pers. comm. October 2020). It occurs in five or fewer threat-defined locations, and its extent of occurrence (EOO) is 3,439 km².

Conservation Actions In-Place
This species occurs in Malabar Wildlife Sanctuary, with at least 50% of the population occurring within this area (India Red List Assessment Workshop October 2020).

Conservation Needed
Expansion of effective habitat preservation is required.

Research Needed
Further research is required on its distribution, and the species-specific effects of Bd and climate change. Population monitoring is also recommended (India Red List Assessment Workshop October 2020).