Very little is known about the Chile Mountains false toad – only a few individuals have ever been seen, and it avoided detection for 100 years following its formal discovery in 1899. It is thought to breed in streams that run through temperate beech forests, where the eggs hatch into tadpoles that develop by feeding on algae growing on rocks. The main threats to this species in the wild are forest fires, pine and eucalyptus plantations, and its limited distribution.