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This species is known only from near Valencia, San Sebastián Municipality, in Cauca Department, Colombia, at elevations of 2,900-3,000m asl. It might occur more widely than current records suggest.

There is very little information available, but it was collected as recently as 2000.

This species is found on vegetation along side streams in montane Andean forests and sub-páramo bush land. There is no information known about breeding habitats, or its ability to tolerate habitat disturbance.

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There have been serious declines of other high-elevation Atelopus species in the region suggesting that this species might also be at risk. The cause of the declines is still not fully understood, though chytridiomycosis is almost certainly involved, possibly in combination with the effects of climate change.

• 8.1.2 Named species
• 11.5 Other impacts

The type locality is within Parque Nacional Natural Puracé, which might benefit in future from improved management. However, given the likely threat of chytridiomycosis, disease management and captive-breeding programmes might be required. Research into this species' population status and ecological requirements is needed, in particular to determine if it occurs outside the vicinity of the type locality.

• 3.4.1 Captive breeding/artificial propagation
• 3.2 Species recovery
• 2.1 Site/area management

Listed as Critically Endangered because of a projected population decline, estimated to be more than 80% over the next ten years, inferred from declines in other high altitude Atelopus species in the same region, probably due to chytridiomycosis.

• Acosta-Galvis, A.R. 2000. Ranas, Salamandras y Caecilias (Tetrapoda: Amphibia) de Colombia. Biota Colombiana: 289-319.
• Ardila-Robayo, M.C. and Ruiz-Carranza, P.M. 1998. Una nueva especie de Atelopus A.M.C. Duméril & Bibron 1841 (Amphibia: Bufonidae) de la Cordillera Central Colombiana. Revista de la Academia Colombiana de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales: 281-285.
• 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.
• 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.