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This species is found in the lower montane zone of the Cordillera de Talamanca-Chiriqui axis of Costa Rica (1,800-2,500 m asl) and western Panama (1,400-2,100 m asl) (Savage 2002). It has not been seen in Costa Rica since 1996 and the species is now considered to be extinct in that country; it might also have disappeared in Panama.

It is a diurnal, terrestrial species of stream margins in lower montane wet forest and rainforest. Males are territorial and use an advertisement call to maintain a breeding site. Breeding and larval development for this species takes place in forest streams (Savage 2002).

This species was once considered locally abundant along streams. In Costa Rica this species has disappeared from its entire range, and there have been no sightings since 1996 despite many searches in appropriate montane habitats (there have been no new sightings as of August, 2007). The population status in Panama shows evidence of a decline, with no records since the late 1990s.

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Marked declines have been noticed in its extent of occurrence. In Costa Rica the decline and probable extinction of this species has been linked to chytridiomycosis (Lips 1998), which was confirmed in this species in 1993 and 1994 (see Lips et al. 2003). Introduction of predatory trout, and general habitat loss both outside, and within protected areas, are also threats to remaining populations. Climate change is considered to be a possible threat.

• 6.1 Recreational activities
• 9.3.4 Type Unknown/Unrecorded
• 4.1 Roads & railroads
• 1.1 Housing & urban areas
• 11.5 Other impacts
• 2.1.2 Small-holder farming
• 9.1.3 Type Unknown/Unrecorded
• 2.1.3 Agro-industry farming
• 8.1.2 Named species

The range of the species is within the protected areas of Parque Nacional Chirripó and Parque Internacional La Amistad. The threat of chytridiomycosis means that successful conservation measures will probably need to include the maintenance of any surviving individuals in captivity.

• 3.4.1 Captive breeding/artificial propagation
• 2.1 Site/area management

Listed as Critically Endangered because of a drastic population decline, estimated to be more than 80% over the last three generations, inferred from the apparent disappearance of most of the population, probably due to chytridiomycosis.

• Ibáñez, R., Solís, F., Jaramillo, C. and Rand, S. 2000. An overview 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.
• Lindquist, E.D. and Swihart, D.W. 1997. Atelopus chiriquiensis (Chiriqui harlequin frog): mating behaviour and egg laying. Herpetological Review: 145-46.
• Lips, K.R. 1998. Decline of a tropical montane amphibian fauna. Conservation Biology 12: 106-117.
• Lips, K.R. 1999. Mass mortality and population declines of anurans at an upland site in western Panama. Conservation Biology: 117-125.
• Lips, K.R., Green, D.E. and Papendick, R. 2003. Chytridiomycosis in wild frogs from southern Costa Rica. Journal of Herpetology 37: 215-218.
• Lips, K.R., Reeve, J.D. and Witters, L.R. 2003. Ecological traits predicting amphibian population declines in Central America. Conservation Biology: 1078-1088.
• 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.
• Savage, J.M. 2002. The Amphibians and Reptiles of Costa Rica: A Herpetofauna between two Continents, between two Seas. University of Chicago Press, Chicago.
• 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.