It is endemic to Colombia and occurs in the Pacific lowlands and foothills of the Cordillera Occidental.

[1][2][3] The specific name spurrelli honors Herbert George Flaxman Spurrell, a British physician and zoologist.

The dorsum dark brown to black and has irregular yellow to olive green spots.

[6] Atelopus spurrelli occurs in primary and secondary tropical humid forest at elevations of 50–900 m (160–2,950 ft) above sea level.

Its range includes several protected areas, e.g., Utría National Park and El Amargal Nature Reserve.