This salamander lives on only a 17 kilometer strip of land on the eastern side of Pigeon Mountain, making it an endemic species to this location.

This is especially true in the case of climate change as higher elevations are becoming warmer and losing their ability to maintain moisture levels.

In the case of P. Petraeus, the loss of moisture within the eastern side of Pigeon Mountain can diminish the amount of land in which the species is able to dwell, raising the potential for extinction of the salamander.

Additionally, the increase in the spread of the fungus chytrid can serve as a means of extinction for these salamanders.

Fortunately, the eastern side of Pigeon Mountain is steep and relatively undisturbed by humans and other large mammals.