Although it is found across western and central Africa, it does not have a single large area of occupancy but occurs in several separate populations.

The proposed subspecies are S. superciliaris superciliaris, found only in the western Lower Guinean forests extending along the eastern coast of the Gulf of Guinea from eastern Benin through Nigeria, Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea, and S. superciliaris chevalieri, found in the Upper Guinean forests of Sierra Leone, Guinea, Liberia, Ivory Coast and Ghana, and the new species, Sclerophrys channingi, found in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

[5] The African giant toad is a large species with a robust body which is a broad ovoid in shape.

The eyes are set close together and the upper eyelid has a pointed edge drawn out into a triangular projection.

The limbs are barred with dark bands on a greyish or brownish background and the back of the thigh, and sometimes the flanks, are bright red.

[7] The new species differs from the two subspecies in that the posterior part of the abdomen is a darker colour, the line along the spine is dark and the eyelid processes are less-pointed.

[1] Another view is that as this species is nocturnal and is so cryptically-coloured as to be difficult to discern, it may be much more common than is presently thought.

Juveniles have been seen in January in Nigeria, in March in Cameroon, and young toads less than 40 mm (1.6 in) long have been observed in February and the months between May and October in other parts of the range.

This toad is known to consume ants and in captivity has eaten snails, insects, other frogs and tadpoles.