Ruschi’s rat is a rodent known from Brazil’s southeastern Atlantic Forest. Its wild ecology and the details of its range remain poorly known.
Spiny hairs are more common toward the tail, which has a tuft of hair at its tip.
Its wild diet is unknown; captive animals have eaten fruit, seeds, and nuts. In May 2002, one adult male (MN 67557) was caught in a ground-set live trap at Aldeia Sapucaí, Angra dos Reis, Rio de Janeiro state. The capture site was a clearing dense with Guadua bamboo, about 60 m from apparently mature, continuous forest.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.