Taxonomic notes: Section empty

This species occurs on the Andean slopes around the Huancabamba Depression region, Loja Province, southern Ecuador; and Amazonas, Cajamarca and Piura regions, northern Peru. It can be found from 1,900 to 3,180 m asl (von May et al. 2008). Its range, taken as a proxy for extent of occurrence (EOO), is estimated at 30,967 km².

It is common in Loja, Ecuador and also in northern Peru.

It occurs in shrubs in humid montane tropical forests (R. Gutierrez pers. comm. in Amphibian Red List Assessment Forum March 2013) and in altered habitats, suggesting a degree of tolerance to habitat modification. The females carry the eggs in pouches on their backs and put the tadpoles in streams.

There are no reports of this species being utilized.

Habitat destruction and degradation is a threat to this species, especially forest destruction caused by agricultural activities in the locality of Celendín, Cajamarca region, Peru. In addition, Aguilar et al. (2012) report this species' occurrence in a mining concession in Cajamarca. Enciso et al. (2008) reported Aeromonas caviae and other bacteria from skin samples, where this species was one of those sampled. These authors suggest that there is a potential for infection and development of the disease if biological populations undergo stress.

In Ecuador its geographic range overlaps with Parque Nacional Podocarpus. In Peru it is present in some natural forests and also in Cutervo National Park and Área de Conservación Privada Huiquilla. Further protection is required of the habitats where this species occurs. In addition, further research is required into the population status, ecology and threats.

Listed as Least Concern in view of its wide distribution, tolerance to a degree of habitat modification and presumed large population.

• Aguilar, C., Gamarra, R., Ramirez, C., Suarez, J., Torres, C. and Siu-Ting, K. 2012. Anfibios andinos y estudios de impacto ambiental en concesiones mineras de Perú. Alytes 29(1-4): 88-102.
• Barbour, T. and Noble, G.K. 1920. Some amphibians from northwestern Peru, with a revision of the genera Phyllobates and Telmatobius. Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology: 395-427.
• Duellman, W.E. 1974. A systematic review of the marsupial frogs (Hylidae: Gastrotheca) of the Andes of Ecuador. Occasional Papers of the Museum of Natural History of the University of Kansas: 1-27.
• Duellman, W.E. and Wild, E.R. 1993. Anuran Amphibians from the Cordillera de Huancabamba, Northern Peru: Systematics, Ecology and Biogeographic. Occasional Papers of the Museum of Natural History of the University of Kansas: 1-53.
• Duellman, W.E., Lehr, E. and Aguilar, C. 2001. A new species of marsupial frog (Anura; Hylidae: Gastrotheca) from Cordillera Azul in Peru. Scientific papers of the Natural History Museum of the University of Kansas: 1-10.
• Enciso, M.A., Villena, M., Mendoza, A.P. and Chávez, G. 2008. Rapid survey on amphibian skin diseases in a mountain forest at the northern andes of Peru.
• Faivovich, J., Haddad, C.F.B., Garcia, P.C.O., Frost, D.R., Campbell, J.A. and Wheeler, W.C. 2005. Systematic review of the frog family Hylidae, with special reference to Hylinae: Phylogenetic analysis and taxonomic revision. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 294: 1-240.
• 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.