This species occurs in montane cloud forest and pine-oak forests, and requires pristine habitat. It is semi-arboreal, and has been found in bromeliads, but can also be found under bark or under logs. It breeds by direct development and is not dependent upon water. In Guatemala when forest is cleared, a close relative, Bolitoglossa lincolni, colonizes the range of, and hybridizes with, B. franklini.

This species occurs along the Pacific border of Chiapas, Mexico, south-east to the Pacific slopes of Guatemala as far as Volcán Atitlán. Its elevational range is 1,500–3,200 m asl. It is likely to be restricted to known localities. Its extent of occurrence is 6,009 km², which represents ten or fewer threat-defined locations.

Conservation Actions In-Place
This species occurs in the El Triunfo Biosphere Reserve, Volcán Tacaná and La Sepultura in Chiapas, which includes some areas that still have pristine habitat. In Guatemala, it has been recorded from Parque Nacional Volcán Tajumulco (G. Ruano-Fajardo pers. comm. August 2019) and Refugio de Quetzal San Marcos, Guatemala (T. Papenfuss and S. Rovito pers. comm. 2007). It is protected by Mexican law under the "Special Protection" category (Pr).

Conservation Needed
There is a need for improved protection of the forest habitat of this species in the remainder of its range. Proactive, precautionary steps should be taken to detect the arrival of Bsal in Guatemala and/or Mexico and to establish a baseline by including the swabbing of salamanders encountered during routine amphibian monitoring activities in the country (Guatemala and Mexico Red List Assessment Workshops 2019).

Research Needed
Further research into its population size and trends in needed.