Pelophryne misera is a high elevation species. It is known from fagacean and mossy forests at Gunung Kinabalu and Gunung Murud at 1600 to 3100 m asl.

The species is small: According to Inger & Stuebing (2005) males reach approximately 16–21 mm snout-vent length, females 18–23 mm. 

The tiny toad is dark brown with blackish markings on the head, back and flanks. The snout is blunt and truncated vertically in profile. The skin is warty. The webbing of hand and foot is fleshy. At the hand, the webbing reaches the tips of the first three fingers.

Malkmus et al (2002) described the reproduction biology: males call from shrubs 10–50 cm above the ground. The only clutch ever found was layed into a small water-filled terrestrial depression and comprised 10 large eggs (2.8 mm). Tadpoles hatched after 16 days and metamorphosed after 44 days. Development is endotrophic (tadpoles thriving from internalized egg yolk).

Photos by © Ch'ien Lee and © Katarina Stenman.