This species is found in pristine lower montane wet forest, on moss-covered tree trunks and buttresses, inside rotten logs, and within the leaf axils of bromeliads, 0.6-1.5 m above the ground. A few individuals have also been recorded under logs inside a cow paddock (Hertz et al. 2011), however the species is unlikely to be tolerant of higher degrees of habitat degradation. It is presumed to breed by direct development.

This species is known from a few adjacent localities between 1,500-2,300 m asl on the Pacific slopes of the Cordillera de Talamanca of Costa Rica and far western Panama. It is confirmed as occurring from Cerro Frantzius to within Las Tablas Protected Zone in Parque Internacional La Amistad in Costa Rica, near the Panamanian border (Hanken et al. 2005), and Jurutungo, on the Pacific slopes of Cerro Pando in Panama, near the Costa Rican border (Hertz et al. 2011). Its extent of occurrence (EOO) is 205 km².

Conservation Actions In-Place
Much of its known range occurs within the Las Tablas Protected Zone, which forms part of the adjoining Parque Internacional La Amistad (in the southern part of which this species is also found), in Costa Rica. It also occurs in Parque Internacional La Amistad in Panama.

Conservation Needed
Improved management and enforcement of the boundaries of Parque Internacional La Amistad is needed to prevent illegal activities occurring within the Panamanian side of the park (Panama Red List Assessment Workshop August 2019). Proactive, precautionary steps should be taken to detect the arrival of Bsal in Costa Rica and/or Panama to establish a baseline by including the swabbing of salamanders encountered during routine amphibian monitoring activities (Panama and Costa Rica Red List Assessment Workshops 2019).

Research Needed
Further research is required to fully resolve the taxonomic status of the species.