[1][4] The specific name zal is a Polish word that, according to Arthur Rubinstein, refers to "sadness, nostalgia, regret, burning hurt, and yet something else".

This name was chosen by the authors of the species to express their "sadness and frustration at the loss of this and so many other endemic amphibians in Sri Lanka".

[4] The type series consists of three adult males measuring 25.0–25.4 mm (0.98–1.00 in) in snout–vent length.

The upper parts of the alcohol-preserved specimens are light brown with dark-brown blotches and about five white spots.

All were identified as different species, suggesting that Pseudophilautus zal might have had a wide distribution.