This species inhabits humid lowland and montane forest. It is mainly arboreal (in bromeliads), but can be found on the ground. It can tolerate a limited degree of habitat modification. It breeds by direct development and is not dependent upon water.

This species is found in the humid lowlands and premontane slopes of the Atlantic versant of Costa Rica and western Panama, and the Pacific versant of southwestern Costa Rica and Cerro Campana, Panama, at 40-1,245 m asl. It now also occurs in Cerro Negro, Río Chilagre and Cerro Narices, all in Veraguas in Panama (Hertz et al. 2013).

Conservation Actions In-Place
This species occurs in several protected areas, including Parque Nacional Braulio Carrillo and Parque Nacional Tortuguero (among others) in Costa Rica, and Parque Nacional Chagres, Parque Nacional Palo Seco, and Reserva Forestal Fortuna in Panama.

Conservation Needed
Proactive, precautionary steps should be taken to detect the arrival of Bsal in Costa Rica and/or Panama and to establish a baseline by including the swabbing of salamanders encountered during routine amphibian monitoring activities in these countries (Costa Rica and Panama Red List Assessment Workshops 2019).