Around seven genera of Asian and African frog species belong to this family, which is considered a subfamily of the Ranidae by some. The typical breeding mode is the construction of foam "nests" situated above water. The Madagascan genera Boophis and Aglyptodactylus lay their eggs directly in water. Some members of the Asian genus Rhacophorus have long, fully webbed toes, with which they can glide from one tree to the next.

A common species acoss most of southeast Asia, the three-inch long blue-legged tree frog occurs in a variety of habitats and is often encountered in cities where it can be observed feeding on insects attracted by electric lights. Very much aboreal in habits, this frog is a typical member of its family and breeds in the standard fashion, the male and female using their arms to whip their spawn into a merangue-like "nest" which they position over water. In urban situations, a man-made water supply is often used. This foam nesting behavior is shared by a number of unrelated groups, and serves to keep the eggs from being vulnerable to egg-eating fish.