Taxonomic notes: Section empty

This species is known only from the type locality in the northern Cordillera Central, Municipio de Anorí, Departamento de Antioquia, Colombia, ca 1,670-1,875 m asl (Bravo-Valencia and Rivera-Correa 2011). It is currently known only from a range of less than 10 km² [which is taken as a proxy for both extent of occurrence (EOO) and area of occupancy (AOO)] despite exhaustive searches for over five years (M. Rivera-Correa pers. comm. August 2014 in Colombia....).

The population status is unknown. This is a relatively newly described species which had not been recorded since its discovery in 2003, until its recent rediscovery in 2007 (see Bravo-Valencia and Rivera-Correa 2011). Only a dozen individuals have been found in spite of exhaustive searches conducted over five years (M. Rivera-Correa pers. comm. August 2014 in Colombia....).

The habitat is composed of remnant secondary very humid pre-montane forest with a high abundance of arboreal ferns, bromeliads and other epiphytes. The annual mean temperature varies from 18 to 24 ºC, with 4,000 to 8,000 mm of annual precipitation (Gutiérrez-Cardenas 2002).

There are no reports of this species being utilized.

There are several active threats in the region, e.g. habitat fragmentation and inundation by the Porce III-IV basin hydroelectric project near the type locality. The major threat is likely to be chytridiomycosis, a factor implicated in catastrophic population declines in many montane species of Atelopus. Habitat loss due to water contamination from silviculture and agriculture, could be the major threats to the species (M. Rivera-Correa pers. comm. August 2014 in ...).

• 7.2.4 Abstraction of surface water (unknown use)
• 8.1.2 Named species

It is found in "El Arrierito Antioqueño", a protected private reserve.

Listed as Critically Endangered given that it is currently is known only from an extent of occurrence (EOO) and area of occupancy (AOO) of less than 10 km², it is known from one location, and there is ongoing habitat fragmentation loss and inundation by the Porce III-IV basin hydroelectric project near to the type locality.

• Bravo-Valencia, L., and Rivera-Correa, M. 2011. A new species of harlequin frog (Bufonidae: Atelopus) with an unusual behavior from Andes of Colombia. Zootaxa: 57-67.