Aim: Telmatobius atacamensis presents Linnaean (unknown species), Wallacean (unknown geographic distributions), and Hutchinsonian (unknown abiotic tolerances) knowledge deficits that can be reduced with species distribution models (SDM). We calculated and validated the distribution range of T. atacamensis in the Andean plateau by combining geoprocessing tools and SDM configured with climatic and vegetation variables. Location: Andean plateau, northern Argentina. Taxon: Anura, Leptodactylidae. Methods: To estimate the niches of this microendemic species and know its conservation status we applied SDM configured with climatic and vegetation variables at one and 10 km spatial resolution. We apply and configure the Maxent, Random Forest, Support Vector Machine, and Domain algorithms from the R package ENMTML. We perform field validation of the predictions at sites with a high probability of detection. Results: All the predictions obtained showed high performances in 1k (AUC = 0.98 ± 0.02; Sorensen = 0.97 ± 0.03, mean ± standard deviation), and 10k (AUC = 0.90 ± 0.05; Sorensen = 0.94 ± 0.05) of spatial resolution. Depending on the environmental variables and spatial scales used, the SDM allowed the niche identification of Telmatobiidae, Leptodactylidae, Bufonidae families, Telmatobius genus, and the target species. Main conclusions: Combining climatic and vegetation variables could improve the algorithm’s performance and the amphibian’s predictions; our results expanded the databases for a microendemic species. T. atacamensis may not be strictly microendemic; field validation increased the database, suggesting wider distributions than previously thought. The conservation status of T. atacamensis is critical; besides being an endemic species, critically endangered, and with niches overlapping with the Lithium Triangle, only five conservation units protect 25.6% of its critical habitats. Our results partially reduce the Wallacean deficit; there are no management policies and expanding field validation efforts represent basic inputs that could outline new effective management and conservation strategies by national and international authorities.