[3] It was discovered in 2010 during a survey of rainforests in the northern part of the Eastern Arc Mountains of Tanzania.

It was named in honour of the American zoologist, William T. Stanley, of the Field Museum, Chicago, who has done much research into the amphibians of Tanzania.

[4] It is present at three locations along the eastern border of Chome Forest Reserve at altitudes between 1,100 and 1,300 m (3,600 and 4,300 ft).

It is very close morphologically to Callulina kisiwamsitu, but it can be told from that species by its call and by DNA analysis.

Its habitat is humid tropical submontane forest and it has also been found on roadside verges at night.