The species has a limited distribution, being currently known only from Maandi village in Jinping county, Yunnan.

Amphibians are often sensitive to environmental changes, including pollution, habitat destruction, and climate fluctuations, which could negatively impact the population of Ichthyophis yangi, making them rarer. Some species of caecilians have low reproductive rates or specific breeding requirements, which can contribute to their rarity if their offspring have low survival rates, Rao said.