[2] The dorsal coloration of P. garrulus varies from reddish brown to grayish yellow to match the local substrate.

Adults usually have a snout-to-vent length (SVL) of 4.5–6 cm (1.8–2.4 in), which is relatively small for the genus.

[1][2] The preferred natural habitats of P. garrulus are desert, shrubland, and savanna, at altitudes from sea level to 1,500 m (4,900 ft).

Males vocalize from the entrances of their burrows at dusk and on moonlit nights.

[2] Nota bene: A trinomial authority in parentheses indicates that the subspecies was originally described in a genus other than Ptenopus.