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This species is currently known only from the Cerro Sapo in south-western Darién Province, Panama. It is suspected that the species is more widely distributed, and may range through much of Parque Nacional Darién. It has been found at altitudes of 50-1,150m asl.

This is a terrestrial species of tropical montane and submontane forest. Breeding and larval development takes place in forest streams.

This species is locally common within its small range, and has been recorded as recently as 2003.

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The main threats to the species are deforestation of habitat for agricultural use and general water pollution. Congeners are known to have virtually disappeared throughout much of Mesoamerica, probably due to chytridiomycosis, and this species might also be at risk from the disease, although it occurs at lower altitudes (the disease normally occurs at higher elevations in the tropics).

• 9.1.3 Type Unknown/Unrecorded
• 2.1.1 Shifting agriculture
• 2.1.2 Small-holder farming
• 8.1.2 Named species
• 9.3.4 Type Unknown/Unrecorded

It has been recorded from Parque Nacional Darién. Further survey work is needed to establish the limits of the species' range, and additional research is needed to establish whether chytridiomycosis might be a threat.

• 5.4.2 National level
• 2.1 Site/area management
• 5.1.2 National level
• 4.1 Formal education

Listed as Endangered because of a projected population decline, estimated to be more than 50% over the next ten years, inferred from declines in other high altitude Atelopus species in the same region, probably due to chytridiomycosis.

• Ibáñez, R., Solís, F., Jaramillo, C. and Rand, S. 2000. An overwiew of the herpetology of Panama. In: J.D. Johnson, R.G. Webb and O.A. Flores-Villela (eds), Mesoamerican Herpetology: Systematics, Zoogeography and Conservation, pp. 159-170. The University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, Texas.
• La Marca, E., Lips, K.R., Lötters, S., Puschendorf, R., Ibáñez, R., Rueda-Almonacid, J.V., Schulte, R., Marty, C., Castro, F., Manzanilla-Puppo, J., Garcia-Perez, J.E., Toral, E., Bolaños, F., Chaves, G., Pounds, J.A. and Young, B. 2005. Catastrophic population declines and extinctions in Neotropical harlequin frogs (Bufonidae: Atelopus). Biotropica: 190-201.
• Lötters, S. 1996. The Neotropical Toad Genus Atelopus. Checklist - Biology - Distribution. Vences, M. and Glaw, F. Verlags GbR, Köln, Germany.
• Pounds, J.A., Bustamante, M.R., Coloma, L.A., Consuegra, J.A., Fogden, M.P.L., Foster, P.N., La Marca, E., Masters, K.L., Merino-Viteri, A., Puschendorf, R., Ron, S.R., Sánchez-Azofeifa, G.A., Still, C.J. and Young, B.E. 2006. Widespread amphibian extinctions from epidemic disease driven by global warming. Nature 439: 161-167.
• Savage, J.M. 1972. The harlequin frogs, genus Atelopus, of Costa Rica, and western Panama. Herpetologica: 77-94.
• Young, B., Sedaghatkish, G., Roca, E. and Fuenmayor, Q. 1999. El Estatus de la Conservación de la Herpetofauna de Panamá: Resumen del Primer Taller Internacional sobre la Herpetofauna de Panamá. The Nature Conservancy, Arlington, Virginia.