For a long time two genera were recognized, Leptobrachella and Leptolalax, and have more recently been lumped together into the genus Leptobrachella (see ASW). Both combined, the genus now comprises a good number of species, some of which are not well understood in their biology. What used to be Leptolalx and Leptobrachella on Borneo were clearly two groups distinct in adult and larval morphology. While respecting the current state of taxonomy, we take the liberty to refer to species that were formerly Leptolalax as subgenus Leptolalax in the text in order to make a distinction between these two Bornean groups.

The casual observer will only accidentally see these frogs, because many species are relatively small and well-camouflaged in the leaf litter. Despite their sometimes small sizes, these frogs are loud callers and can be heard from quite some distance. Some species are encountered along small streams in fairly high numbers forming male choruses. The genus Leptobrachella, as currently understood, occurs on both Borneo and mainland Asia.