The northern Darwin's frog, or "Sapito Vaquero", inhabits the native forests of the coastal mountain range in the central-southern zone of Chile, from Zapallar to Concepción.

This species was first described in 1902, as a genus different from that of the southern Darwin's frog. It was not until 1975 that this species was scientifically re-confirmed and classified within the genus Rhinoderma.

Unlike the southern Darwin's frog, the males of this northern congener keep the tadpoles inside their vocal sac for only a short period of time, after which they expel them into mountain streams to complete their larval development and metamorphosis (transformation from tadpole to frog) there. Other characteristics of this species include well-developed interdigital membranes between all the toes of its hind legs, an adaptation that may aid swimming.

Sadly, the northern Darwin's frog has not been observed since 1981, and it is currently classified as Critically Endangered (Possibly Extinct) on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. If this is confirmed, it would be the first Chilean animal to meet the sad fate of extinction in modern times.