The species is native to the Malay Peninsula and Borneo, where it inhabits primary and mature secondary dipterocarp forests at altitudes of 250–500 m (820–1,640 ft).

Described by British herpetologist Malcolm Arthur Smith in 1940, the species is a stout, cylindrical snake with a small head and short, conical tail.

The IUCN Red List currently classifies the species as being of least concern due to its presence in protected areas and the fact that its range is likely larger than currently known.

A. leonardi was described by the British herpetologist Malcolm Arthur Smith in 1940 based on two female specimens collected near the town of Merapoh in Pahang, Malaysia.

[2] However, genetic studies indicate that Cylindrophiidae is paraphyletic (not containing all the descendants of a common ancestor) with respect to Anomochilidae, and some authorities merge the latter family into the former.

[2][5] The head is continuous with the neck and, despite the fossorial (adapted to living underground) nature of the species, the snout has no reinforcements to aid in burrowing.

[2] Reproduction in the species has not been studied, but other Anomochilus are known to lay eggs, unlike the rest of the Uropeltoidea, which give birth to live young.