It is one of the most endangered amphibian species in Europe, with its populations declining sharply in recent years, and has been the focus of multiple conservation plans.

Like many European common frogs, R. latastei is primarily gray or brownish-red with white bellies, with almost no color variation by geographic location.

[4] Some sexually active males have dark red or brown spots on their throats, orange-red coloration on the underside of their thighs, and thumb pads on their forelimbs.

R. latastei is a decidedly lowland species and rarely occurs above 400 m a. s. l., only going up to the lower foothills of mountains, where the colder climate delays larval development and metamorphosis.

It has also been reported from open habitats like wet meadows or peat bogs, as well as cottonwood plantations or ditches in agricultural areas that have sufficient vegetation.

The Italian agile frog prefers humid regions with lots of rotting plant material and remains close to rivers, streams, lakes, and other sources of freshwater, which are required for the species' breeding and reproduction.

Rana latastei is endemic to the plains of northern Italy, the extreme southern tip of Switzerland, the Istrian region of Slovenia, and adjacent Croatia.

[3] Major threats to the survival of the species include habitat destruction, degradation, and fragmentation, as it is highly adapted to the floodplain woods of the Po River basin.

The Italian agile frog does not engage in long-distance movement and rarely strays far from the nearest breeding site, so fragmentation of forest habitats has also led to reduced genetic diversity among this species.

[12] The introduction of invasive predatory species – including Percottuss glenii, the American bullfrog, and crayfish – have further endangered the Italian agile frog.

To enhance the protection of this species, several conservation areas were proposed in Italy, and frog tadpoles bred and translocated to suitable sites.

[16] However, these repatriation efforts were only somewhat successful because many tadpoles were placed in ponds lacking the vegetation preferred by the Italian agile frog.

Human disturbances such as agriculture, water pollution, and tourism, as well as new predators in repatriated habitats like red crayfish, are additional factors that have negatively affected conservation efforts for R. latastei.

A 2006 action plan by the Standing Committee of the Bern Convention called for protection and improved management of R. latastei habitats, as well as the eradication of invasive predators.

Adult frogs search the forest litter, burrows, and riverbanks for their food, which includes insects like beetles, bugs, and earwigs, as well as worms, snails, centipedes, and several arachnids.

Reproduction activities occur in small permanent or temporal water bodies with extensive aquatic vegetation or submerged plant material, such as ponds, ditches or floodplain puddles.

The number of clutches laid per year varies substantially due to fluctuations in temperature, humidity, and other environmental factors.

[14] This ability to flexibly modify behavior in response to the presence of dragonflies distinguishes the Italian agile frog from other Rana species.