This nocturnal salamander inhabits tropical lowland moist forest (Brame and Wake 1963). It has been recorded in both primary and secondary forests (MECN 2010), as well as, banana plantations (Crump 1977). Individuals of this species have been collected in broad leaves of ferns (Brame and Wake 1963), banana, Heliconia, and elephant ear plants (Crump 1977). It has been recorded in shrubs and epiphytes up to 200 cm high (MECN 2010). It breeds by direct development.

It is distributed in the lowlands of northwestern Ecuador (Brame 1963), in the provinces of Esmeraldas (Morales et al. 2002), Santo Domingo (MECN 2010) and Manabí (Lynch et al. 2014). It has been recorded from 182–1,100 m asl (Ortega-Andrade et al. 2021).This species has also been reported from Reserva Natural La Planada, Nariño Department, Colombia at 1,650 m asl (Schargel and Rivas 2003), but this identity of this record has been questioned (Acosta-Galvis 2007; Colombia Red List Assessment Workshop August 2016).

Conservation Actions In-Place
It has been recorded in Reserva Ecológica Mache Chindul, Reserva Jama Coaque Ecuador Manabí (Lynch et al. 2014), Reserva Biológica Canandé-Fundacion Jocotoco (MECN 2010), Reserva Jama Coaque, Reserva Biologica Canandé and Reserva Biológica Bilsa. It may also occur in Reserva Natural La Planada in Colombia, but this requires confirmation.

Conservation Needed
Protection of the remaining habitat within its range and strengthened enforcement is urgently needed to ensure the survival of this species.

Research Needed
More information is needed on this species' distribution, population status, ecology, and threats. Taxonomic research is required to determine if this form is a complex of more than one species, and whether the specimens from Colombia belong to this or another taxon.