For nearly 100 years, this species had been considered to be Hemiphractus johnsoni whose distribution was originally described by Trueb (1974) as ranging from the Cordillera Central of Colombia to the eastern slope of the Andes and Amazon Basin of Peru, with a single locality from Ecuador (no known localities between Colombia and Ecuador). The description for the in life coloration of the holotype for this species comes from field notes of William Duellman, 11 February 1975: "at night pale tan above [with] barely discernible darker markings; venter dull cream. By day dorsum pinkish tan with brown markings; venter grayish white [with] grayish brown flecks which are darkest on limbs. Iris pinkish tan with black marks." An osteological study by Sheil and Mendelson (2001) give the following characters to distinguish it from its congeners: presence of a postorbital indentation, supraorbital ridge prominent, canthal ridge prominent, occipital artery pathway opening posterior to orbit, vomer lacking pedicellate teeth, subtemporal fenestra reduced, bordered by maxilla and quadratojugal, sphenethmoid not exposed between nasals and frontoparietals, skin on hind limbs relatively smooth, not distinctly granular.

SVL of holotype is 52.7 mm, nostrils ovoid, slightly protuberant, projecting dorsally, slightly laterally; lips not flared. Interorbital region is 30% of head width, eye diameter is 22% of head width. Tympanum is vertically ovoid. Mandible bearing serrations along entire length of lower jaw with 2 prominent tusk-like projections from mentomeckelian bones. Fingers are long and fairly robust, relative finger lengths are 3>1=4>2. Webbing on hands is relatively thick. Tibio-tarsal articulation reaches tip of snout when hindlmbs are adpressed anteriorly. Relative lengths of toes are 4>3=5>1=2. Cloacal opening is directed posteroventrally at midlevel of thigh. Dorsum and flanks have very small granules.