It was formerly considered the sole species within the genus Arenophryne until the first decade of the 2000s, when a new species of frog called the southern sandhill frog was discovered about 100 kilometres from Geraldton, Western Australia in Kalbarri National Park and given the scientific name Arenophryne xiphorhyncha.

The dorsal surface is mottled in colour, from dark grey and white to pale brown.

The sandhill frog inhabits coarse-grained sand dunes on the coast of Western Australia, ranging from Shark Bay in the north, Kalbarri National Park in the south and Cooloomia in the east.

During the day, the sandhill frog will avoid desiccation by burrowing into the moist layer of the sand, emerging at night to hunt.

They will lay a maximum of eleven eggs underground, where they undergo direct development, and bypass the tadpole stage.