This species can be found at lower elevations and in winter usually concentrates near seepage areas, springs and small streams. Individuals may range into adjacent wooded areas in wet weather. It is more terrestrial at higher elevations, and often inhabits the floor of spruce-fir forests. It is often abundant on wet rock faces. Eggs are laid in wet rock crevices or under rocks, logs or moss in seepage areas or near small streams. The larvae develop in water. Adults are nocturnal and spend the day under cover objects, although they may be active during the day under overcast conditions. Juveniles are often associated with seepages of headwater streams (Green et al. 2014).

This species can be found in the Blue Ridge Physiographic Province, USA, from Floyd County, Virginia, to somewhere between Linville Falls and McKinney Gap on the Blue Ridge Divide (Burke and McDowell counties, North Carolina) and to the headwaters of Toms and Clark creeks about 1.5 km northeast of Iron Mountain Gap on the North Carolina-Tennessee boundary (Tilley and Mahoney 1996). This headwaters area is in Mitchell and Unicoi counties, according to Tilley and Mahoney (1996), or in Avery and Carter counties, according to Petranka (1998).

Conservation Actions In-Place
This species occurs in several protected areas. It is in minimal need of protection (Petranka 1998).