Pangulubao in North Sumatra and Mount Bandahara in Aceh. Its altitudinal distribution extends from 1100 to 2800 m above sea level. The typical habitat of this species is summit scrub vegetation as well as lower and upper montane mossy forest. It always grows terrestrially, often in open sites such as ridge tops and cliff sides, where it is exposed to direct sunlight. The species is rare in blangs, where the lack of surrounding vegetation means the stems scramble along the ground. Nepenthes mikei may be difficult to find on Mount Pangulubao, where it is sympatric with N. gymnamphora (N. xiphioides), N. ovata, and N. spectabilis. On Mount Bandahara, where it is common above 2400 m, it grows alongside N. diatas. Natural hybrids with all of these species have been recorded. At another location, which is undisclosed for conservation purposes, N. mikei grows alongside N. flava. The conservation status of N. mikei is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, based on an assessment carried out in 2000. This agrees with an informal assessment made by Charles Clarke in 2001, who also classified the species as Vulnerable based on the IUCN criteria. However, Clarke noted that since substantial populations of N. mikei lie within protected areas, they "are unlikely to become threatened in the foreseeable future". Taking this into account, he suggested a revised assessment of Conservation Dependent. The species is threatened by habitat loss and disturbance, as well as over-collection by plant collectors. Related species Nepenthes mikei is most closely allied to the Sumatran endemics N. angasanensis and N. tobaica, and may be conspecific with the former. In their description of N. mikei, Salmon and Maulder noted many differences between it and N. angasanensis which are now known to be unreliable. For example, the authors wrote that N. angasanensis produces offshoots from underground rhizomes, while N. mikei does not; populations of N. mikei from Mount Bandahara are now known to produce such offshoots. Similarly, N. angasanensis was said to lack a fasciculate spur, but this has since been recorded in lower pitchers of this species. Disregarding these supposed differences leaves only a few stable distinguishing features between the species. Firstly, the teeth lining the inner margin of the peristome are shorter in N. mikei, although both have minute teeth and this difference is minor. Secondly, the pedicels of N. mikei bear simple bracteoles, while those of N. angasanensis do