The dorsal surface is brown, with dark greenish-brown speckles.  There is often a pale (often indistinct) patch behind the ears. It differs from other species by its reddish cheeks and the reddish colouration on the underside of the tail. It is distinctive for its relatively longer muzzle compared to D. lokriah.

The species is widely distributed, and is recordede from Arunachal Pradesh (India) to Myanmar, central and southeastern China, Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Hainan and the Malay Peninsula

It is partially terrestrial but can be found in dense shrub layers and high in the canopy, where it nests in tree hollows. It is generally found at elevations below 1800 m asl in tropical submontane forests as well as in degraded and fragmented habitats.