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This species occurs in Parque Nacional Natural Los Picachos, Veredas la Esperanza and Andalucia, Caquetá Department, Colombia, between 1,750 and 2,500m asl. It might occur a little more widely.

It is only known from four specimens collected between 1994 and 1998; there has been no subsequent survey work for the species.

It occurs and breeds in streams in premontane moist forest.

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The most serious risk to this species is chytridiomycosis, which has had a devastating impact on other high-altitude species of Atelopus. Habitat loss due to the planting of illegal crops is a threat to this species.

• 11.5 Other impacts
• 2.1.2 Small-holder farming
• 8.1.2 Named species

It occurs in Parque Nacional Natural Los Picachos. Survey work is required to determine the current population status of the species. Given the threat of chytridiomycosis, surviving individuals might need to form the basis for an ex-situ population.

• 1.2 Resource & habitat protection
• 3.4.1 Captive breeding/artificial propagation

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. 1999. Una nueva especie de Atelopus A.M.C. Duméril & Bibron 1841 (Amphibia: Anura: Bufonidae) de la Cordillera Oriental de Colombia. Revista de la Academia Colombiana de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales: 139-142.
• 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.