They are found from the southern United States southwards to Central and South America.

[1] The taxon was created by Stephen Blair Hedges, William Edward Duellman and Matthew P. Heinicke in 2008.

[2] The taxonomy of these frogs is not yet settled,[3][4] and other sources may treat the subfamily Strabomantinae as a family, Strabomantidae,[4][5][6] with correspondingly smaller Craugastoridae.

[10] With the possible exception of Craugastor laticeps that may be ovoviviparous,[11] craugastorid frogs have direct development: no free-living tadpole stage is known; instead, eggs develop directly into small froglets.

[2] Two genera are recognised in the family Craugastoridae:[1] The following two taxa were formerly placed in Craugastoridae, but are now incerta sedis within the superfamily Brachycephaloidea, awaiting more data to resolve their position:[9]