Taxonomic notes: This species was reassigned from Phrynopus to Oreobates by Padial et al. (2012).

This species is known from four geographical localities: Rapi, near Chiquintirca, Provincia La Mar, Ayacucho region, Peru (Lehr 2007); on the road from Punqui to Anco, 3 km before Anco, Ayacucho region, Peru (Padial et al. 2012); and in two localities near the town of Qollpas (Cerros Animasniocc and Cerro Atampa), Chiquintirca district, province of La Mar, Ayacucho region, Peru [V. Vargas pers. comm. on iNaturalist observation http://www.inaturalist.org/observations/223798 (Accessed: July 19, 2013)]. It occupies an altitude range between 3,411 and 3,850 m asl. It is likely that this species represents a local endemism of the Andean forests above 1,500 m with a limited distribution (Padial et al. 2012, E. Lehr pers. comm. March 2013). Its range, taken as a proxy for extent of occurrence (EOO), is currently estimated to be 39 km². As two of the known geographical localities are in close proximity to each other and close to a gas pipeline, they are considered a single threat-defined location for the purposes of this assessment, making the number of estimated threat-defined locations three.

It is known from just 11 individuals recorded from four localities. Males have been heard calling during the day at the type locality (Padial et al. 2012). It is likely that this is a rare species given the low frequency of observation [V. Vargas pers. comm. on iNaturalist observation http://www.inaturalist.org/observations/223798 (Accessed: July 19, 2013)].

It has been found in the cold grassland puna of the Andes (E. Lehr pers. comm. 2008, Padial et al. 2012). Males have been heard calling by day in cold grassland puna and individuals have been found hidden under thick layers of moss near the ground or within piles of stones (Padial et al. 2012). It is presumed to breed by direct development.

There are no reports of this species being utilized.

The grassland puna where this species lives is threatened by overgrazing from cattle and construction of major gas projects (the Camisea Gas Project) [V. Vargas pers. comm. on iNaturalist observation http://www.inaturalist.org/observations/223798 (Accessed: July 19, 2013)]. In addition, the species' habitat is threatened by farmers who frequently burn the puna grassland to enhance the growth of other plants and for religious reasons (a fire to ask gods for rain) [E. Lehr pers. comm. March 2013, V. Vargas pers. comm. on iNaturalist observation http://www.inaturalist.org/observations/223798 (Accessed: July 19, 2013)]. The grass is also used as roofing material in the construction of houses.

No conservation actions are currently known for this species. It does not occur in any protected areas and its habitat would benefit from conservation protection [V. Vargas pers. comm. on iNaturalist observation http://www.inaturalist.org/observations/223798 (Accessed: July 19, 2013)]. More research is needed into the ecology and population status of this species.

Listed as Endangered due to an estimated extent of occurrence of 39 km², considered to occur in three threat-defined locations and there is a continuing decline of its high altitude grassland habitat in the Andes of south-central Peru.

• Lehr, E. 2007. New Eleutherodactyline frogs (Leptodactylidae: Pristimantis, Phrynopus) from Peru. Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology 159: 145-178.
• Padial, J.M., Chaparro, J.C., CastovieJo-Fisher, S., Guayasamin, J.M., Lehr, E., Delgado, A.M., Vaira, M., Teixeira Jr, M., Aguayo, R. and de la Riva, I. 2012. A revision of species diversity in the Neotropical genus Oreobates (Anura: Strabomantidae), with the description of three new species from the Amazonian slopes of the Andes. American Museum Novitates 3752: 1-55.
• von May, R., Catenazzi, A., Angulo, A., Brown, J.L., Carrillo, J., Chávez, G., Córdova, J.H., Curo, A., Delgado, A., Enciso, M.A., Guttiérez, R., Lehr, E., Martínez, J.L., Martina-Müller, M., Miranda, A., Neira, D.R., Ochoa, J.A., Quiroz, A.J., Rodríguez, D.A., Rodríguez, L.O., Salas, A.W., Seimon, T., Seimon, A., Siu-Ting, K., Suárez, J., Torres, C. and Twomey, E. 2008. Current state of conservation knowledge on threatened amphibian species in Peru. Tropical Conservation Science 1(4): 376-396.