This Brazilian spiny rat is recorded in dry biomes as well as rocky grassland. In one study, 41 fecal samples from a rupestrian grassland site commonly contained arthropods and plant material; diet composition varied by season and sex.
The back is ochre-tawny, fading to buff on the sides, with pale stiff hairs among the coat. The underside is white.
It is associated with drier environments such as the Caatinga. At one rocky-grassland site, researchers found arthropods and plant matter in the diet, with seasonal and male-female differences in the sample.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.