This species inhabits wet mountain meadows, sphagnum bogs, ponds, lakes, and streams, in open coniferous forests. It hibernates in mud at the bottom of ponds and in spring-water saturated ground up to at least 75 m from ponds (Briggs 1987). This species prefers quiet ponds for breeding and usually lays eggs in shallow open water. Non-breeding habitats are often more than 100 m from breeding sites, sometimes substantially more. Non-breeding habitats can be streams in lower altitudes. It is not clear how adaptable this species is to habitat degradation.

This species occurs in the Cascade Mountains from northern Washington south into northern California, USA. Subpopulations isolated from the main Cascade Mountains complex occur in the Olympic Mountains, Washington, Mount Shasta and Lassen Peak area, California, and the Trinity Mountains, California (Stebbins 1985b, Nussbaum et al. 1983, Pearl and Adams 2005). It has possibly been extirpated from many of its historic localities in California. This species occurs at elevations between 400–2,500 m asl (Green et al. 2014). The historic range of this species may have included sites at much lower elevations than is currently occupied (Leonard et al. 1993).

Conservation Actions In-Place
Some subpopulations are within protected national park and wilderness areas in Oregon (such as Crater Lake National Park, and the Three Sisters wilderness area), Washington (Olympic and Mount Rainier National Parks), and California (Mount Lassen and Trinity Alps). However, factors such as pesticide drift, UV radiation, and fish introductions are prominent threats even in montane protected areas. This species is considered a "Species of Special Concern" in California and "Sensitive-Vulnerable" in Oregon (Green et al. 2014). USFWS (2015) found that sufficient scientific or commercial information exists to consider listing this species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). 

Conservation Needed
Continued rigorous management of the existing parks is the best guarantee for the conservation of this species.

Research Needed
More information is needed on this species' distribution, population status, ecology, and threats. There is a need for monitoring the population status of this species given the threats of pesticide drift, UV radiation, and fish introductions that remain prominent even in some protected areas.