The ochre mole-rat is a subterranean rodent recorded in Central African savannas and woodlands. A Garamba National Park study documented roots and yam tubers in food chambers of animals then identified as Cryptomys lechei, a name later included within this species.
It is relatively large among mole-rats, and its coat color varies. The review reports little external difference between males and females.
A 1949–1952 survey recorded one burrow system in Garamba National Park in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The animals were then identified as Cryptomys lechei, a name included within the ochre mole-rat by a current species review. The tunnel system in Isoberlinia woodland measured 315 m and was used by at least three animals; food chambers held roots and tubers, especially Dioscorea abyssinica.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.