Originally an inhabitant of tropical lowland and premontane forest, these habitats have largely disappeared within its range, and it is now found mainly in shaded coffee plantations (under bananas) surrounded by remnants of forest (Henríquez and Greenbaum 2013). It breeds by direct development.

This species is found in the upper coastal plain on the Pacific slopes of southern Guatemala, and from three localities in El Salvador: a historical locality at the Instituto Tropical de Investigaciones Científicas in San Salvador (Köhler et al. 2006), Cerro Las Pavas (Municipality of Cojutepeque; Henríquez and Greenbaum 2013), and Comunidad el Progreso, Canton San José Primero, Municipality of San Martín. It occurs between 600-1,250 m asl. It is probable that there are additional subpopulations in the Sierra de Apaneca and the Cordillera del Bálsamo in El Salvador (V. Henríquez pers. comm. June 2019). Its extent of occurrence (EOO) is 7,329 km².

Conservation Actions In Place
This species is known from several private protected areas in Guatemala. In El Salvador, it has not been recorded in any legally protected areas; however, it might occur in Parque Nacional El Imposible, Plan de Amayo Natural Protected Area, El Balsamar Protected Natural Area, El Espino Protected Natural Area and Bicentennial Park.

Conservation Needed
The maintenance of shaded habitats is important to ensure the long-term persistence of this species. Proactive, precautionary steps should be taken to detect the arrival of Bsal in Guatemala and/or El Salvador and to establish a baseline by including the swabbing of salamanders encountered during routine amphibian monitoring activities in the country (Guatemala Red List Assessment Workshop 2019).

Research Needed
Additional surveys are needed to better understand this species' distribution, population status, and trends throughout its range.