Chaperina fusca is not rare but still may be difficult to find because it is small and because the calls of males are insect-like and not very loud. The species lives in lowland and hillside primary and secondary forests.

The dorsum is dark brown to black with blueish-grey marbling. The percentage of blueish-grey can vary significantly. The underside is covered by large cream to bright yellow spots, visible also along the lower flanks. The elbows and heels bear tiny soft spurs. Males hardly reach 20 mm in snout-vent length, females grow slightly larger.

The tadpoles of Chaperina fusca are filter feeders with dorso-ventrally compressed bodies and moderately high tail fins. The tail tip is norrow but rounded. The tadpoles have a peculiar body shape and silvery reflecting eyes when view from above. There also is a silver iris ring around the pupil. In daylight the tadpoles appear dark brown to black above. The appear lighter when photographed with flash. The tadpoles can be found in rock holes and phytothelmata (water-filled cavity in a plant or trunk) near to ground level. They will take advantage of all sorts of water receptacles, such as tins, tires, plastics... in one occasion we found a clutch in a toilet of a forest camp.