This rare semi-aquatic species is endemic to the southern Western Ghats of India. It inhabits the riparian habitats and tropical moist evergreen forests of the Ghats. Its existence has been recorded mainly in Kerala's Ponmudi hills and Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary, at the heights of 300m -1,550m asl.

Conservation Status:

This species is listed as Endangered in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (https://www.iucnredlist.org/).

According to the IUCN Red List assessment, the population of this species is declining, and its current population size is unknown. Its Extent of Occurrence is less than 5,000 sq km, with a severely fragmented distribution. The major threat known to its survival is habitat degradation due to large-scale tea and coffee plantation.