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This species occurs in Parque Nacional Natural Chingaza, Colombia, between 2,900 and 3,350m asl.

This species was common up until 1996, but four expeditions in 1998 and 2003 failed to turn up a single individual at any of the previous known localities.

It occurs in Andean cloud forests and páramos. Breeding and larval development take place in streams.

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The major threat is likely to be chytridiomycosis, which has resulted in catastrophic declines of many other species of Atelopus. Cattle grazing is also a threat to the habitat of this species, and introduced trout have a negative impact on reproductive success.

• 8.1.1 Unspecified species
• 8.1.2 Named species
• 11.5 Other impacts
• 2.3.4 Scale Unknown/Unrecorded

This species occurs in the Parque Nacional Natural Chingaza. Further survey work is required to determine whether or not this species still persists in the wild. In view of the threat of chytridiomycosis, any surviving individuals might need to form the basis for the establishment of an ex-situ population.

• 2.1 Site/area management
• 2.2 Invasive/problematic species control
• 3.4.1 Captive breeding/artificial propagation

Listed as Critically Endangered because of a drastic population decline, estimated to be more than 80% over the last ten years, inferred from the apparent disappearance of most of the population (probably due to chytridiomycosis); and because its Area of Occupancy is less than 10 km2, all individuals are in a single location, and there is continuing decline in the number of mature individuals.

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• 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.
• Rueda-Almonacid, J.V. and Hoyos, J.M. 1991. Atelopes muisca, nueva especie de anfibio (Anura: Bufonidae) para el P.N.N. Chingaza, Colombia. Trianea Acta Científica y Tecnológica: 471-480.
• Ruiz-Carranza, P.M., Ardila-Robayo, M.C. and Lynch, J.D. 1996. Lista actualizada de la fauna de Amphibia de Colombia. Revista de la Academia Colombiana de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales 20(77): 365-415.