The mountain paca is a large, nocturnal rodent of Andean forests. It rests in a burrow during the day.
Its coat ranges from reddish brown to chocolate brown, with rows of white spots along the flanks. It has a stocky body and a large head.
It feeds mainly on fruit and nuts, sometimes carrying food in its cheek pouches to a central midden. It also disperses seeds.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.