[2] This species' head is wider than long; the skin on the dorsum is highly wrinkled with transverse corrugated folds - three discontinuous longitudinal folds, one dorsolaterally and two laterally; the webbing on toes is medium (three-quarters of the length); two yellowish bands occur on the dorsolateral area, prominent from subadult to adult stage; femoral glands are present.

The upper surface of the body is reddish-black to stone black, with two yellow lateral bands.

In day time, the frog prefers to hide below small boulders and damp leaf litter along the slow-flowing streams of the Shola forests in the hill ranges.

Nyctibatrachus dattatreyaensis is only known only from Dattatreya Peeta in the Bhadra Wildlife Sanctuary, Kemmangundi, and Baba Budangiri.

[2] The Chandra Drona Parvatha hill ranges are noted for medicinal herbs.