This species is known from four localities in the Colombian Andes at 1,350-1,910m asl, and also from the Brazilian Amazon at much lower altitudes. On the Cordillera Central of the Colombian Andes it occurs in southern Antioquia Department, and the eastern slope in Caldas Department; on the Cordillera Oriental of the Colombian Andes it occurs in Parque Nacional Cuera de los Guacharos, in Huila Department, and in extreme western Caqueta Department. In Brazil, it has been recorded from the vicinity of Parque Nacional da Serra do Divisor, in Acre State.
Habitat and Ecology
It occurs on the lower stratum of vegetation, among fallen leaves, and on shrubs in primary cloud forest. It is very sensitive to moisture and is restricted to primary forest. It eats other species of frogs, and probably only survives in areas of high frog density. Females lay their eggs and glue them on to their back, where they develop directly.
It is considered to be a very rare species, and is known only from about 20 specimens.
The major threat is habitat loss and degradation due to cultivation of illegal crops, livestock farming and logging.
It occurs in Parque Nacional Cuera de los Guacharos, Colombia, and Parque Nacional da Serra do Divisor, Brazil. Further survey work is needed to better determine the limits of the distribution of this species and its current population status.
This form is probably a complex of several species. Brazilian populations assigned to this species presumably belong to another species. This genus has recently been moved from the family Hylidae (Faivovich et al. 2005).
Fernando Castro, John Lynch, Claude Gascon 2004. Hemiphractus johnsoni. In: IUCN 2014