The species is associated with clear, well-oxygenated, small- to medium-sized slightly acidic streams (although in Portugal it has been found in water with pH 7–8), with dense surrounding vegetation in mountainous and hilly areas. The species has also been recorded from caves and abandoned flooded mines. It is associated with broad-leaved oak forest, and occurs in secondary vegetation, but not in commercial plantations. It is a larval developer, and the females lay approximately 12–20 eggs in shallow stream water, often attaching the eggs to the bottom substrate. It is sometimes associated with areas of traditional farming practices, and is particularly found in dry stonewalls.

The generation length is estimated to be 5–6 years, which is based on skeletochronology studies by Texeira et al. (1998) and Lima et al. (2001) (I. Martínez-Solano pers. comm. December 2021).

This European endemic species is restricted to mountainous and hilly areas in north-western Spain (Galicia and Asturias) and northern and central Portugal with an annual precipitation of over 1,000 mm. Its distribution is patchy because its required habitat is fragmented. It has been introduced to the Serra de Sintra, west of Lisbon. It occurs between 100–1,396 m asl (although there are few records above 1,000 m asl - e.g. Sequeira and Alexandrino 2008, Otero and Galán 2017). Its extent of occurrence (EOO) is 55,468 km².

Conservation Actions In-Place
This species is listed on Appendix II of the Bern Convention, and is also listed on Annexes II and IV of the EU Natural Habitats Directive. It is protected by national legislation in both Portugal and Spain. It occurs in several protected areas including Picos de Europa National Park and Fragas do Eume Natural Park, Spain, and Peneda-Gerês National Park, Portugal. Local conservation initiatives such as replanting native tree species and thus recovering terrestrial habitats for this and other wild species are examples of good practice involving non-governmental as well as governmental organisations and other actors in collective, neo-endogenous action (Swagemakers and Dominguez-Garcia 2015).

Conservation Needed
Improved habitat protection is required. There is also an urgent need for an EU (European Union) wide coordinated approach and implementation of the Bsal Action Plan by Gilbert et al. (2020), which was commissioned by the European Commission.

Research Needed
If an outbreak of Bsal was to occur within this species' range, population monitoring would need to be implemented immediately and this species would need to be reassessed.