[4] The polkadot poison frog is arboreal in its habits, living among the mosses and epiphytic plants growing on trees in the dense forests of western Panama at altitudes of up to 1,120 metres (3,670 ft) above sea level.

If receptive, the female joins him in a courtship ritual after which a small batch of about four to eight eggs is laid on the leaf and fertilised by the male.

[3] The newly hatched tadpoles are carried to water bodies, such as pools forming in the rosettes of bromeliads, where they develop.

[3] The total extent of occurrence of the polkadot poison frog is less than 5,000 square kilometres (1,900 sq mi), and even within this range, there are a number of separate subpopulations.

However, part of its range is within the bounds of the Parque Internacional La Amistad and the Bosque Protector Palo Seco.