This species is found in shrub and lower tree strata in primary and secondary forests. It will not tolerate the opening up of habitat (A. Diesmos pers. comm. March 2018). It breeds by larval development in arboreal water-filled cavities and in rotting logs, and has been observed breeding in discarded water-filled buckets at forest edge (E. Quah pers. comm. January 2018) and water containers (A. Figueroa, M.-R. Lowe and H. Siow pers comm. July 2020).

This species is found from Yala in extreme southern Thailand (Taylor 1962) through Peninsular Malaysia (Berry 1975), Singapore (Lim and Lim 1992) including a translocated subpopulation in Singapore Botanic Gardens (A. Figueroa, M.-R. Lowe and H. Siow pers. comm. July 2020), Sumatra (including Siberut in the Mentawai Islands) and Kalimantan in Indonesia, northern parts of Borneo (both Malaysia and Indonesia), and Palawan in the Philippines. The species has recently (2014) been confirmed in southern Palawan (J. van Beijnen pers. comm. January 2018), as it was previously an unconfirmed record (R. Brown pers. comm.). Its presence in other parts of Palawan still require confirmation. It is likely to occur a little more widely than current records suggest. It has been recorded from 50–1,800 m asl (upper elevation from the Philippines - A. Diesmos pers. comm. March 2018).

Conservation Actions In-Place
This species occurs in several protected areas including Gunung Panti Forest Reserve and Bukit Panchor State Park (Peninsular Malaysia), with at least 50% of the subpopulation in this country occurring in these areas (Malaysia Red List Assessment Workshop January 2018). In Indonesia, it occurs in many protected areas including Kayan Mentarang National Park, Gunung Palung National Park, Kutai National Park among others (Indonesia Red List Assessment Workshop May 2017). In Thailand it occurs in many protected areas including Kaeng Krachan National Park, Khao Luang National Park and Khlong Saeng Wildlife Sanctuary which are well-protected (A. Aowphol and A. Rujirawan pers. comm. February 2021).

The Strategic Environmental Plan (SEP) for Palawan for areas was put into place by the national government in 1992, which aims to divide the island into a network of environmentally critical areas above 1,000 m asl (ECAN - Environmentally Critical Areas Network). The plan is operationalized on a local level by the Palawan Council for Sustainable Development. The map of these areas is currently being updated to include lowland areas below 1,000 m asl (Philippines Red List Assessment Workshop May 2017). The Philippine Tropical Forest Conservation Foundation is also managing about $30 million in funds from debt payments due to the US government, which are instead allocated for spending during 2016–2026 towards forest protection in three priority areas: Palawan Island, the Sierra Madre on Luzon Island, and eastern Mindanao Island (Philippines Red List Assessment Workshop May 2017). In Singapore, it is included in the National Parks species recovery plan (A. Figueroa, M.-R. Lowe and H. Siow pers. comm. July 2020).

Conservation Needed
More effective protection of lowland rainforest is critical to ensure the persistence of this species. This includes the continued protection of Fraser’s Hill, which is necessary for the conservation of this species (Malaysia Red List Assessment Workshop January 2018). Effective preservation of lowland forest is needed to conserve this species because oil palm plantations are encroaching into protected areas in Kalimantan (Indonesia Red List Assessment Workshop May 2017). Some oil palm companies and forestry companies designate High Conservation Value areas, which is required by some financial institutions providing loans. However, not all lenders require these areas to be set aside and the habitat within the HCVs could disappear if the lender or requirements change (Indonesia Red List Assessment Workshop May 2017). Despite being present in several protected areas in the Philippines, the species is still threatened by the continuing decline in the quality and extent of its habitat. Therefore, required conservation measures include the regulation and proper disposal of pesticides and herbicides, and the effective protection of remaining rainforest, especially riverine habitats and gallery forests. In addition, improved enforcement of the SEP is needed as it has had limited success due to challenges in implementation (Philippines Red List Assessment Workshop May 2017).