The Knuckles Mountain Forest Reserve (KMFR), the natural habitat of the Steiner's Shrub Frog, is under severe and imminent threats.

Much of the primary forest in the KMFR has been cleared to make way for cash-crop cultivation, including tea and cardamom, which leads to the gathering of wood for processing and drying barns, as well as timber and fuelwood supply for villages.

Annual rainfall is declining steeply in the region, especially on the perhumid western slopes, causing the area to become drier and more seasonal.

As these frogs rely on ambient forest moisture for homeostasis and reproduction, highland aridification and warming pose serious potential threats to these species.

High acidity in mist- and rainwater is considered a potential risk to the highland biota, although there is no direct evidence of its negative impact on amphibians to date.

This threat is particularly relevant to species residing in areas with persistent mist and those inhabiting open habitats with aquatic life history stages.