[2] It is endemic to Pehuenche Valley in the Andes of southern Mendoza Province, Argentina, and the adjacent Chile.

At the time of the assessment by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in 2012 (published 2013), the species was known from six streams (five in Argentina and one in Chile) in an area encompassing some 9 km².

[1] A study published in 2013 extended the known range a few kilometers west and included another Chilean stream.

This has already impacted the hydrology and it may affect water quality, particularly because of salting of the highway in winter.

Considering these threats and the very limited area of occurrence, the Amphibian Specialist Group of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has classified this species as "Critically Endangered".