It is found in the eastern United States, as well as in the Niagara Glen Nature Reserve adjacent to the lower Niagara River in southern Ontario, and a single disjunct population in southern Quebec, Canada.

This species belongs to the "lungless salamander" family (Plethodontidae), whose adults must keep their skin moist to breathe.

It is a somewhat terrestrial salamander that can be found under stones, logs, and bark near springs, streams, and other areas where the ground is saturated with water.

[3] Ontario's Endangered Species Act, 2007, protects D. ochrophaeus from being killed, harmed, or possessed.

[3] Canadian populations of D. ochrophaeus are divided into two segments, each of which is designated endangered under Schedule 1 of the Species at Risk Act.